McKinley’s Assassination and Political Abuse
The claim that is made that what was said in political papers against Mr. McKinley during the last campaign incited his assassination, is disproved by the assassin himself, who declared that he had nothing personal against Mr. McKinley, and that he killed him, not because he did not like the man, but because of his opposition to government of any kind. The Springfield Republican well illustrates one extreme, now so widely manifest: “If you have a grudge against any one or anything, dead or alive, make him or it responsible for anarchy.” At the same time we do not believe in this political abuse and belittling of public men.