The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-15

Major McKinley's Manly Character
istics.
Cincinnati, May 14-The Tfmes-Star
prints the following sketch of Mckinley
its staff correspondent at Columbus:
Columbus, Ohio, May 9.-The most
talked of man in the United States is
Ex-Governor Mckinley. who will in all
probability be called from the quietude
of private citizenship to assume the la
bors of directing the affairs Of this coun-
try, and a few words about him may be
OF interest.
My acquaintance with Mckinley be
gan at the time that he, rs chairman of
the ways and means committee Of the
national house OF representatives, was
buried in the labor of preparing ten tar
if bill with which his name is asso-
ciated He was almost literally buried
in this labor, for he devoted every wax
ing moment to the stupendous task
which me assumed in consequence Of his
Craftsmanship. His work room in the
Ebbftt house, directly across the hall
from his living departments, contained
great stacks of papers and cooks and
letters from every part of the world.
Desks ard tables were insufficient to
contain them and recourse was had TO
the floor, which was almost covered with
an appalling confusion Of documents.
In that workshop Mckinley worked
harder than any mechanic in the land.
He had a ographer-Charley Baw-
sci, who was subsequently made exec
utive clerk during McKinley's guberua-
torial term-to whom he dictated mem
orandums and letters. and in that work
room he received men from every sec
ton OF the country who called to urge
that the particular industries they rep
resented be given the benefit of the
protection which the Republican party
proposed to give to American Industries
AIillionai-es, mechanics. farmers, all
thronged to that room, not particularly
large or particularly light or cheerful,
to make Mckinley acquainted with their
needs and their desires, all pouring an
available of statistical information
and sentimental and patriotic appeal
into the ears Of the one man to whom
they looked for help-help that would
enable them to compete with Europeans
and furnish remunerative employment
to American workmen.
Sometimes we read IN Democratic pa
pers that Mckinley was not responsible
for the tariff law which bears his name
that really he had little or nothing to
do with it that his participation in
its preparation was simply perfunctory
and that others are entitled to more
credit for the good things in 1T than
he is. When Democratic writer's reach
the point where they are absolutely
ia
Kinley law was a good thing, they
strive to steal away all the credit for
it from It's author by the mendacious
declaration that he was in fact not it's
author. Well, I know Who the author
was and so do tens of thousands of
otehrs. IT was William Mckinley.
have seen Mckinley sit in his work
noon at the Ebbitt house day after day
and right after night, and 1 have sat
an auditor at the sessions of the ways
and meansc ommittee and I know as
does every other person who knows
anything ct an of the matter, that he
practically made up the bill as it was
reported to the house. He it was to
whom all went. There were throngs
waiting Cor him before he left his bed
in the morning; they followed him TO
the capitol, and they sat up with him
at his hotel until fatigue compelled him
20 seek Tepose- He was, as It were, a
sort Of digestive apparatus into which
all the interests of all sections were
poured and assimilated and sent forth
as rich as lneJb3ood through all tn
commercial arteries Of the nation. 1t
was his Intelligence and wisdom which
made the tariff bill. Hrs fellow mem
beTs of the committee aided unques-
final decision were his, and the McKin-
ley bill was rightly named. 1t was
amended by the house and by the s-n-
ate and by the conference committee
reported and the last vote was taken,
Mckinley bluntlv said on the floor that
tho bin was not all that he wished II to
be- But the principle was represent
ed, the principle OF furnishing protection
10 american workmen and enabling
them 10 earn comfortable living for
their families and the impress of Nc
Kinley's aim and hope was upon every
page, although here and there II had
been dimmsd-
When called by unanimous choice ITO
be the leader of the Republican party
Of Ohio in 1891, Mckinley entered upon
a field which was entirely new TO him,
and which ST first he tread with a de-
gree OF trepedition. He had TO deal
with people, instead Of principles, and
I'D TO the time that he was nominated
by exclamation by the convention
which met al Columbus he did not have
a very gerat personal ecquaintan
with the people OF his state. OF course,
ne knew s great many people, but he
could not for the life OF him tell who
was the political leader of every county
in Ohio, NORM fac. did he care a cent,
That IS one Of the marked peculiarIaies
OF McKinley-he does not care a fig for
political ''ch.efIains."
As q candidate for congress. McKin-
ley had nothing TO do with the small
nesses Of politics; he went before an
intelligent constituency and discussed
public questions upon which he had az
a. congressman taken sides. and ap-
peaied TO the wisdom the judgment of
his people for vindjcstion as to mis-
course His introduction 10 the polit-
ical machine" made after his first
nomination for governor. was disagree
able It S7as 10 some extent, a shock.
He found that prominent part OF the
machine Nss 3 Yoke, and that seemed
TO horrify nm SO much 50 that il led
him &c make uSs of the only prOfane
language that ever knew the govern
or 10 use. He was talking 10 me one day
Of the conditions that II waS sought
70 impose upon him IN return for certain
favors, s1Ich as ony politician might
well value highly. and, after briefly go
ing ever the master, suddenly declared:
II the people OF Ohio want me 10 be
their governor for the next two years.
they can have me; il they Son't want
me. | shall not complain IN the leasS.
I certainly stall not do one thing 20 get
TO be governor. except 10 candfdly srate
my position on puolic questions, caief
Of which al this day IS the tariff. and