The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-23
M'KINI,EY's PERSONALITY.


Chicago Inter-Ocean. (Rep.): In
accounting for the unusually large
popular majority given to the Republic
can candidate for President not enough
attention has been given to Major Nc
Kinley's personality. Many who never
studied the Republican platform voted
for Mckinley because they regarded
him as the very best living exponent of
stalwart Republicanism. Others who
could not ua~reServedly indorse the
financial plank of the platform. and
who entertained doubts as to approval
Of the policy enunciated, were infiu-
eHced by the record, or more, by the
personality Of Mckinley. and, regard
ing him as the platform in himself,
voted for him, Other men. again, on
whom party ties rested loosely. and
who belonged among the independent
voters. were influenced by McKinley's
courtesy, high character. and tenacity
to principle. They voted for the man
rather than for the platform.
Thousands of men. contracting the
two candidates and contrasting the two
platforms. felt themselves pushed to Il
choice between men as representatives
of policies. Waverins for a time, in
fiuenced at first by party attachment,
they ultimately voted for Mckinley be-
cause they trusted him. Thousands
and thousands of workers in factories,
machine shops. and on the farms. con-
fused by the different interpretations
put upon party platforms, fretted by
the industrial complications. angered
by the patronizinS air of Mr.. Bryan.
turned toward Mckinley because they
had seen him and heard him; because
they knew OF his sympathy. his fair
ness, his understanding of their needs,
and they became his enthusiastic sup
porters and his devoted followers. They
might not understand the platform,
they did rot always care for this plank
or that, but they had an affection for
Mckinley. a trustfulness that could not
be shaken, and they voted for him.
In the early days of the campaign a
good many silver Republicans iIouted
out of the party ranks with the idea
that they would carry the party nag
with them, but as the campaign pro-
ceeded the personality of Mckinley 'eX-
ercised moro and more influence. They
resented the taunts Of some of the Re-
publican speakers, but they heard
from Mckinley n word OF reproach.
In all his speeches there was for them
no offensive utterance. They came to
regard him as the personiflcation of the
spirit OF the Republican party. Dissat-
istled with Mr.. Bryan's record on eco
nomic questions. repealed by the Social
lstlc planks of the Chicago platform
and by the u%tterances OF men like Ait
geld and Tillman, they wavercd for a
time between the lines, but were more
and more influenced by the man Nc
kinley. and they unhesitatingly accept
ed him as the representative OF their
WI Republication.
In every rank OF life, In every line Of
employment. in every profession and
trade. among the mon who lived In
cabins and those who lived In. man.
sions, In the great commercial centers
and on the lonely farms, in crowded
trnements and on the almost desolatc
plains, wherever there was the home
spirit, the faith In American manhood.
belief In the old Republican policy and
In the possibilities of Republican gov
eminent. there was affection for Me-
kinley, trust in him, faith In his prin-
c!ples, loyalty to him rs n leader. a few
men who almost loved the nan. voted
against him, but they were as nothing
compared with the f,osta who, influence
cd by his personality, voted the Repub-
lican ticket.