The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19

mestic life, perhaps the most pathetic
thing to be said is that there has been 80
little oft. On January %, 1896, Governor
Mckinley and his wife celebrated their
silver wedding IN the same modest house
in Canton in which quarter of aceutury
before they began life together.
The part played by Mckinley in the
Chicago convention of 1884, which nomi-
mated James G. Blaine for President, is
most notable. He was pledged to the
Plumed Knight
NJ cKinley bore himself modestly at that
convention, but his great quality of leader
ship came to the front by force of circum-
stances. He only spoke two or three
times from the floor of the convention,
but every time he arose he attracted at
rention, and the influence he exerted was
most remarkable. At the critical time
during the convention his was the voice
that rallied the Blaine forces. Three
ballots had been taken. Blaine gained
on each ballot. The final and des-
perate effort was made by the
other candidates under the leadership of
the dashing Foraker in Sherman's behalf
for an ad iournment. Curtis, the great
editor of Harper's Weekly, and Theodore
Roosevelt were on chairs, frantically yell
ing. Stewart of Pennsylvania and Carr of
California, in their zeal for Blaine, were
trying to outdo Curtis and Roosevelt in
voice. The massive and phlegmatic
butcher of New York, one of Arthur s
generals, was, laundering away in the
effort to catch the ear and eye of the chair
man of the convention, General Hender-
son of Missouri. There Mas pandemonium
and there threatened to be panic.
In the midst of the storm Mckinley
arose. Although of medium stature his
form seemed to tower above those around
him. His face was pale and looked like a
piece of marble statuary, except that his
eyes fairly blazed. Before he had uttered
two words his voice could be heard. He
waved his hand and the tumult ceased.
No mistake about 1.-THE was the master
spirit Of that convention. Calm and like
granite he stood. His short speech was
carried in clarion tones all over the i'm
mense hall. AS a friend of Blaine, he
said, he recognized and respected the
rights of friends of other candidates to Sc
cure an adjournment, and then he said !:
"Let the motion be put and let everybody
favorable to the nomination of Blaine vote
against it..
That settled it. Under McKinley's g
leadership, assumed spontaneously and
boldly, the Blaine men accepted the chal-
lenge, the motion for an adjournment was
voted down and the victory was won. 1t
was not defeat that Mckinley turned aside
the situation was not so serious as that
but in a crisis where the Blaine men were
getting demoralized and the convention
was turning itself into mob, Mckinley,
leaping to the front, by one command
marshaled the Blaine men into line and
pressed them forward to their already
sighted victory.
Mckinley is an adroit debater. The
Congressional Record does not show that
he was ever worsted in passage OF arms
with the most brilliant of his colleagues.
In the earlier years in the House of Rep
resentatives he was cautious, and only
undertook debate on questions with which
he was thoroughly familiar. Unlike most
new members, Mckinley did not rush
madly into the wordy arena.
He listened, weighed well the strength OF
his antagonists and said little until his
time and opportunity came. For this rea-
son, when Mckinley arose to speak, he
invariably commanded the attention of
the House. He was generally regarded as
one CT the members who had something
to say, who said it well, and when he had
said it stopped. 1t was also discovered
that Mckinley was quick in debate, and
that, though his speech upon such occa-
sions might be termed the essence of
| courtesy, it usually made the gentleman