The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-14

gress He was reelected often. In the
Democratic landslide of 1882 he went to
Congress with a very narrow margin. and
his opponent, Jonathan Wallace, was
seated after a contest. In 1884 Mr.. Nc
Kinley returned to Congress and in 1890
became prominent as the author of the
Mckinley Tariff bill. His district had
been changed in the meantime, and after
a hot fight he was defeated at the next
election.
Soon afterward Mr.. Mckinley became a
candidate for the Governorship of Ohio,
to which position he was elected in 1891
and again in 1898. During his Guberna-
torial campaigns he first made his great
record at speechmaking, a record rival
cd by his later opponent in the races
for the Presidency. The President, when
a candidate for Governor in single
campaign spoke in Sc of the IS counties
of Ohio. AS the campaign grew hot he
sometimes made as many as Is speeches
in a single day and travelled 200 miles.
He made a Western tour, keeping UP this
hot pace. To the aStonishment OF his
close associates, he seemed scarcely to
feel the strain. 1t was all training for
the fight to come.
NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT.
Although he had figured in three Presi-
Dental conventions Mr.. Mckinley was a
minor figure in the opening campaign for
tn nomination of a Republican candidate
in 1896. Thomas B. Reed, who had Presi-
Dental ambitions, filed the party horizon
as no other man. Before the convention
met, however, Mr. Mckinley had the sit
uation we'll in hand, and in the st. Louis
convention he got 661 out of the 905 votes
cast. The preliminary campaign was
managed by Marcus A. Hanna, who show
ed for the first time his wonderful ability
as a political manipulation.
In his first campaign against Mr.. Bry-
an Mr.. Mckinley did not follow his older
traditions Although it was the most
stirring campaign for years, Mr. Nc
Kinley remained at home much of the
time, and special trains furnished by rail
ways the country over brought crowds
of pilgrims to Canton. Mr.. Mckinley
got 21 votes in the Electoral College,
against III for Mr.. Bryan. The popular
plurality for Mckinley was about 600,-
600 in vote of nearly IA ,OO0, 900, far the
largest ever cast
PERIOD OF BIG EVENTS.
The years of Mr.. McKinley's admins
tration have been the most eventful for
America since the Civil War. Spain was
was driven from the Western Hemisphere
after short armed struggle with the
United States. The war left the United
States with the ownership of Porto Rico,
protectorate over Cuba and the Philip
pines acquired Far-reaching financial
legislation has also marked the admin
istration of Mr.. Mckinley.
The story of the last Presidential cam
raign, in which Mr.. Mckinley was re-
elected is still fresh in the public mind
He received at the election of November
g. 1900, a plurality Of SCI ,527 votes. and
in the Electoral College a majority of
1877 votes
Personally President Mckinley was
pleasant to meet. He was careful not to
give offense. even in heated campaign
speeches Mr.. Mckinley spoke in we'll
turned, impressive phrases and with a
deliberateness and solemnity which
give the impression of profound thought
He was said to be lover of good horses
and to prefer the freedom of country life.
President McKinley's home life has
been In measure ideal. His wife-for-
merly Miss Ida Saxton, daughter of
newspaper publisher of Canton-has been
for years an invalid. The Presidents
devotion to her is of the tenderest and
most touching sort. His mother, too