The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-07-01

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS.

the year 1876 was not a promising
one for a budding Republican politi-
clan. Two years before the party had
suffered defeat. The Greenback here
~ was ravaging it here and there, and
generally il was in a somewhat demOr-
allied condition. Nevertheless, Me-
Kinley chose this time to seek election
TO Congress. He had stumped the
State for Hayes for Governor the pre-
ceding pear, and had gained consider
able reputation as public speaker
and as a champion Of the great Repub-
lican principles of Protection and
Honest Money. Still tine veteran poll
ticians shook their heads dOubtfully
when he was announced as candi-
date for the Republican nomination
for Congress. He carried the prima-
ries i'll every township but one in
Stark county against two other candi-
dates and was nominated by the con-
ventiOn on the first ballot, and then
was elected by good majority.
Tine Democrats had sense enough to
recognize him as a man who would be
dangerous to their party if he were al
lowed to keep on in politics. so they
set about to beat him by foul means if
they could not by fair. Having con-
troll of the Legislature, they proceeded
to gerrymander the State, so that
when Mckinley sought reelection, he
found himself in district normally
Democratic by at least ! 800. Nothing
daunted, he entered the campaign and
was successful by majority of 1900.
Then the former district lines were re-
stored, and he was easily returned for
his third and fourth terms. The DEM
Ocratic fears concerning him were now
realized. lie was by this time one of
the leading Republicans in the House,
and one of those who were doing most
for the lasting supremacy of that party
and the lasting discontinue of the
Democrats So getting possession of
the Ohio Legislature again in 1854,
they the second time gerrymandered
the State with the express purpose of
keeping Mckinley at home. They
put him, as they thought, in district
which would be surely Democratic by
from ,2O0 to 100. But a second time
their devices proved vain The people
of eastern Ohio knew and appreciated
| the statesman who had so well repre-
sented them, and they reelected him
for his fifth term by over 1000 major
1 ity. Sixth and seventh terms follow
ed as a matter of course. Then the
| Buckeye State INDUCED in another
Democratic debauch, and was a third
time made the victim of anti-MeKin-
ley gerrymander. A more outrageous
partitioning of a State for partisan
ends was never conceived, and by the
skin of their teeth the Democrats were
this time successful. They put Me-
Kinley into a district which had the
year before given Democratic plural
4 iAN VI -f'VV. thC theaA-
lenge, made gallant fight, and was
defeated by only S02 votes. 1t is inter
esting to recall, in view of this one de
feat, that Mckinley had been some
years before twitted in Congress by
Mr.. Springer, on having been returned
at the previous election by a somewhat
diminished majority. Mr.. Springer
said: "Your constituents do not seem
to support you" McKinley's reply is
worthy of all remembrance: "My
fidelity to my constituents" he said,
sis not measured by the support they
give me. have convictions which
would not surrender if 10000 majority
had been entered against me-"