The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-02-15
tion. 1t was soon discovered that he
had not only come into the politics OF

| that district but that ne had come TO stay
For fourteen years otter this event he
represented the district Of which Stark
country was a part; NOT the same district
for the Democrats did not relish the
prominent part he Was playing in con-
gress and gerrymandered him three
times, the last time successfully, SO tai
! as temporary defeat was concerned, bu1
most unsuccessful in keeping him out OF
politics. The first attempt to change
his district was made as early as 1877
by the Democrats, who, by gerrymander-
| ing the country, put him into a district
that had 800 Democratic majority. Nc
Kinley carried it byr 300 votes II,
E1gS2 he had another narrow escape, 1t
will be recalled that 1882 was a. bad year
for Republicans. The New York state
convention got into a. great quarrel III
consequence of President Arthur using
| his influence to nominate his secretary
OF the treasury, Judge Folger, for the
governorship of thai state. The party
was also torn up in Pennsylvania. Gro
yer Cleveland was elected governor over
Judge FoIger by Il tremendous majority,
and the gallant Gen. Beaver was defeat
ed in Pennsylvania by then compara-
lively unknown man, Gov. Pathison.
That year McKinley's original district
had been restored and he was seeking
a third term something not accorded
| it's representatives. He had strong Op-
| position for the nomination. some of it
| ranking until the election, and that,
with the popular diseontent temporarily
prevailing, brought his majority down to
eight votes. +-
! He served in congress continuously
from his election in 1876 till his final de-
| feat in 1890, which was brought abont
by one Of those outrageous gerrymanders
I! that the Ohio Legislators of both parties
so well know how to; apportion. Even
then he was defeated by only small
| plurality. s
| Mr. Mckinley entered upon congress
sional life contemporaneously With the
| inauguration of Mr.. Hayes as president,
and he soon demonstrated his capacity
| for public life. and his ability as a
working member Of congress. he had
| long been ae student of economice, and
| soon became the ardent devotee of the
protective tariff system now so lnalter-
| ably associated with his name. He was
not only follower and a disciple Of
! Hamilton and of Henry Clay, but he saw
| in the theories which they advanced, and
which to them were more or less tenn
porary, a policy that should be pernsa-
nent, for in it he believed American
prosperity was indissol1bly involved.
| He believed in it. and advocated it with
all his faith and all his ardor because it
was American, for to that name and al!
that it implies every fiber of his soul
responds.
But it was not until 1885, at the ma
tioual Republican convention he had the
opportunity Of making the declaration
clearly and boldly. as he did as the authDg
Of the platform Of that year. It was {.
bold stroke and startled many Of his
party associates. but il elections are Won
upon party platforms he carried the peo-
pie with him and Harrison, ana G. Re
publican congress were tr.unahpantly
elected Then followed the legislati
known as Il, ! Mckinley bill, and his idea
was nodded into a statute and became a
law. 1t was q tariff for the projection OF.
all things American. Nor was he dis
mayed nor cast down when two years
later the people seemed to have repudi-
ated his principles. Steadfast as the
race from which lie sprung, he held his
faith. and adjured his party to stand
firm, for underneath these cross currents
OF popular ebulition there was the rock
Of truth That could never be swept
Governments arc for the protection Of
person and property. Our own agree
ment, which is the written constitution,
makes specific guarantees, and adds to
them the promise of providing for the
general welfare of the people. In our
declaration Of rights there is to be found
mentioned an inalienaFle right, "the pur-
suit of happiness. The right Of Ia Dor
and of iabor's best reward u.s. therefore,
not only inalienable, for III it lies the
power to pursue happiness. but it is &
right protected in terms by the consti-
tuition. ..
Given man with such convictions and
with the courage that knows 10 falter-
ing. is he not bound to go far and in
the end prevail?
Although defeated for congress, the
people OF Ohio never lost their faith in
Mckinley. aud the next year elevated
him to the governorship. Not only So
but the people of the whole Union desired
to see and hear a man Of such splendid
Alnericanism and dauntiess faith in his
country.
In his first campaign for the governor
ship he spoke in eighty-four Of the
eigl1ty-eight counties Of Ohio, and in
1894 he made 81 speeches in all
the great central SlaLG5 OF LnS Union,
stretching from Pennsylvania in the
East to Kansas in the West, and from
minnesota TO Louisiana. 1t was 8 nlost
unparalleled campaign and probably did
more to carry the congressional elections
Of that year and bring about the over
wIelmiIlg Republican success that fol-
lowed than any other one cause His
audiences were enormous and people
travelled great distances TO hear him. It
was like those famous days of old, when
Douglas and Lincoln We're on the stump
and although Mckinley is not an orator
such as these men were, his entire dayo-
ton TO his cause, his intense ear,lesIness
and his thorough mastery OF every detail
of his subject made him the most inter-
est:ng Of speakers. His style Is timpid-
ity itself, and no wayfarer or working
inman ever tailed to understand his
every utterance. He is, above ali things,
a man OF the people.
AS governor OF great state, his two
adm. .nisirations had great success and Pc
cu1iarly SO in the matter of adjusting Ia
bor difficulties that on,e or twice threat
ened serious strikes. which he pre-
vented
Several times he was obliged 60 order
out the militia in aid of the civil a11tha
ties, but in every instance his action has
had the thorough approval OF the people,
even of these localities where the out
breaks occurred. No goveTno, OF Ohio
It. ~