Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-05-08

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OF politics and spreads and spins web
to catch the buzzing delegates. And
there is reason to believe he immeshes
them right along.
There is telephone between Nc.
ley in Canton and Mark Hanna in
Cleveland. Hanna had not only ex-
acted a promise not to interview Nc
Kinley on any topic, but l was sure
likewise that he had notified McKin.
ley; so had but little encouragement
to play recreant to my VOW in that
behalf.
Mckinley produced cigars. They
were good and we'll selected. McKin-
ley never drinks OF any of the gay bev-
erages which corks confine, but he
smokes; smokes like Vesuvius or Gem
eral Grant. 1t is his one habit"
81 note by the papers," l said,
"that the A. =. A. describes Mark
Hanna as a member of the Roman
Church."
This was not asking a question, and
hoped Mckinley might talk. He
only laughed, however. As a matter
of fact, Hanna is an Episcopalian.
Mckinley, by the way, is himself a
Methodist, and was for a time the Su-
petinte1dent OF the Sunday-school
which pertains to the church of that
persuasion which has its meeting
house handful of blocks away.
Mckinley is honestly and sincerely
! a professor of religion. He joined the
Methodist Church when he was but
seventeen, before he dreamed of office,
and just as he enlisted for the wars in
the South. He has been consistently
a communicant ever since; nor has he
used his church affiliation as ladder
in politics.
HIS RELIGION SINCERE.
His religion is sincere. Even while
l talked with him a gentleman named
Arker came in from Cleveland. Arker
would seem 10 be fashion OF Execu.
tive Committee for the General Con-
| ference of the clergymen Of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, to meet pres
emily at Cleveland. His mission was
to gain from Mckinley a promise to
address the conference on one evening
during the week of the meeting.
You must come, Governor" quoth
Arker; you must come. We rely on
you." And then. with sage, foxy air ::
at won't do you bit of hurt, either" !"
1t wasn't wise nor well.thought
remark, nor yet one grounded in the
finest taste. Mckinley flushed . trine
in his pale face, but his tongue has
been checked too often in life of
office hunting to make any resentiul
slips. 1t was plain, however, that he
took no approving JOY in suggestion
to use the Methodist Conference to
advance his boom. He attempted to
decline the invitation, but Arker's fer.
vor grew with contradiction, and at
last Mckinley yielded. Certainly Nc.
Kinley must be given credit for medi.
tating no politics in an arrangement
he did his best to avoid.
HAS NO CREST OR COAT OF ARMS.
Mckinley was born at Niles, Ohio,
in 1913. He had sister, Anna, who
taught school at Canton, and who
must have been a woman of much
force as well as beauty of character,
for, although dead several years, she
is to-day as often named as Mckinley
himself. His brother, Abner McKin-
ley, is q travelling salesman for firm
in New York.
Mckinley has q second sister, Hat.
tie, now about 43, q spinster, aud liv-
ing with their mother at Canton, not
far from the candidate.
McKinley's mother is now eighty
seven years OF age, but alert and Wig
orous. mentally and physically. She
sees much of her distinguished son,
and he waits on her and walks with
her each day he spends in Canton.
Even now, while his anxieties are, and
should be, on keenest edge, playing as
he is bold game for the biggest stake
on earth, he visits and walks with his
mother every afternoon. They prefer
the quiet streets of the subur bs for
these little excursions, and Mckinley
may be seen escorting the old lady
with the profoundest Difference and
affection, while the conversational
interchange between the two never
flags.
There is one excellent thing about
Mckinley. He has no pedigree; that
is, he has no noble ancestors, while
still able to trace his strain far enough
into the past centuries to cut off that
well-meaning body of snobs, the
American College of Heraldry, from
finding him a crest and coat-of-arms.
HIS ANCESTORS WORE kits.
But heraldry will be baked with
Mckinley. His folks were origi nally
Scotch of humblest sort on his fathers 8
side. They were Highland bodies and
are to be traced as they went about
in kits and bare knees-a fashion of
white savages-as far away as day
when rumor tells OF cannibalism
north of the Highland line: when the
phrase, the broth of boy" meant
what it said, and when the thrifty set
traps for their neighbors' children and
treated the same as prey, and were