The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-03-11
PRESIDENT AND
VICE PRESIDENT,
SKETCHES OF THE LIVES OF
M'KlNLEY AND HOBART.
Their Public and Home Life Interest.
ingly Outlined.

and their families are naturally subjects
of much attention in the public mind and
the public eye at the present moment, both
in Washington and elsewhere. Both these
gentlemen have been before the public for
some time, and the story of their lives is
pretty well known. 1t may not be amiss.
however, now that they are just assuming
the reins of government, to sketch briefly
the career of the President and Vice-Pres-
ident, and to give to those interested some
facts relative to their families and home
life.
William Mckinley celebrated his fifty
third birthday few days before his IN
auguration. Born Feb. 26, 1914, in the
State of Ohio, his career has been re-
markable one and full of activity in public
affairs since reaching the age of seven
teen. AT that early age he entered the
Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry in
May, 1861. as private soldier, serving
continuously until the close of the war,
when he was mustered out September,
1865, as captain and brevet major lie
was then but p years of age. Returning
to his home in Stark County, Ohio, he
resumed his studies, making such RAPID
progress with his pursuit of the law that
in 1869, only four years later, be was
made prosecuting attorney for his county,
which position he filed with honor to
himself and satisfaction to the people OF
his county until 1871. His success IN
this work was such as to clearly point 10
him as valuable for service in more I'M
pOrtant fields, and he was elected to the
Forty-ffth Congress as member of the
House of Representatives taking his seat
in that body when it met in special session
Oct. 10, 1871 1t is a somewhat singular
coincidence that he himself will call
special session of the Fifty fifth Congress,
twenty years from the time that he sat
as member Of the special session OF the
Forty-fifth Congress.
His congressional career was an inter-
esting one, indicating from the first that
his constituents had made no mistake IN
placing in his hands the responsible bust
ness assigned to him. From the beginning
of his work he developed a special inter-
est in tariff matters and maintained that
interest through term after term until
reaching the Fifty-irst Congress, the
careful, persistent work which he had
done in his earlier years proved the turn
ing point in his career. He was the can
didate for the Speakership, but fate seem
ed to have reserved for him the higher
honor of the presidency, for his defeat for
candidate as Speaker was followed by his
appointment as chairman of the Commit
tee of Ways and Means, and he thus be-
came leader of the Republican majority
in the Fifty-frst Congress- which enacted
what has since been known as the NC
Kinley tariff act" That act, taking effect
L IL f1,o oil
election, had not time to prove its value,
which, as a result went Democratic, as
did also the presidential election which
followed two years later, by which the
control of Congress and the presidency
was swept into Democratic hands. Mean
time, however, the Mckinley tariff law
had made a record for itself which has
since proved so valuable as to commend
to the public for the presidency the man
whose name it bears, and when its work
ings were compared with the Democratic
tariff law which was enacted three years
later, the comparison proved so favor
able that in 1896 the people of the coun-
try voted not only to elect William Nc
Kinley President, but to put into Con-
gress power which could sweep off from
the statute books the Democratic tariff
law and enact one framed upon the gem
eral lines which gave prosperity during
the years the Mckinley law was in opera
ton.
Mr.. Mckinley, at the close of his con-
gressional career, was soon taken up by
the people of his State and made Governor
of Ohio in 1891 and again in 1898, by an
enormous majority.
In his home and family life Major Nc
Kinley is extremely happy, though
shadow has been cast over it by the loss
of his two children, both of whom died
in early life. Mrs. Mckinley is a native
of Canton, which has been Major McKin-
ley's home for many years, and is the
daughter of James Saxton, whose father
was for sixty years editor of the 'Ohio
Repository" published at Canton, and
still prominent paper in the State. Mr..
Saxton. who was a banker, placed his
daughter, at the termination of her col
lege life, in his bank, where she acted as
cashier until her marriage with William
Mckinley, Jan. %, 1871. Mrs. McKin-
ley always accompanied her husband dur
ing his life in Washington, but being an
invalid, was able to appear but little i'll
social life, though she was extremely pop
ular with those who were SO fortunate as
to make her acquaintance. She has, dur
ing the past few years somewhat improv-
ed in health, and although the duties of
the mistress of the White House are of
an exacting nature, it is hoped that she
will be able to assume them without en-
dangering her health.
Vice Presi lent Hobart.
Carrot A. Hobart, who is to serve as
Vice President during the term of Presi-
dent Mckinley, was born at Long Branch
n. j.. in 1914. He was graduated from
Rutgers College before he was 20 years
old. and studied law with Socrates futile
at Paterson, being admitted to the bar i'll
1866. In 1872 he was elected member
of the New Jersey House, and was re-
elected and chosen Speaker. He declined
an election in 1875 and in 1877 he was
elected Senator from Passaic County. He
was reelected to that position and served
until the expiration of the year 1882. be-
ing president pro tenn of that body for
the last two years of his service. In 1854
he was nominated by the Republican eau
Gus of the Legislature for United States
Senator. but was not elected, as the Leg
islature was Democratic, and John X. Nc
Pherson was chosen. In 1884 he became
. member of the Republican National
Committee.
In business life he has been energetic
ana active He is president of the Pas