The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-17
HOW MCKINLEY BECAME PRESIDENT.
Some Interesting Facts in Regard to the
Presidency.

Some Interesting Facts in Regard to the
Presidency.
A most interesting book at fhis time is
"Our Presidents and How We Make
Them by Col. A. X. Mcclure. who, as
editor of the Philadelphia Times, has
been in touch with every national conven-
tion for the past fifty years, and has had
a personal acquaintance with nearly all
the Presidential candidates during that
period.
The part of his book in regard to
President Mckinley is especially inter-
esting just now.
After describing the political conditions
in the closing days of Cleveland's second
term and the causes that led up to them
Col. Mcclure goes on to say:
FIRST NOMINATION.
Governor Mckinley and Speaker Reed
took the lead early in the race for the
Republican nomination for President, and
Mckinley was most fortunate in having
his Warwick in Mark A. Hanna, of Ohio,
who conducted the Mckinley battle on
the same lines that Samuel j. Tilden con-
Quoted the contest for his nomination in
1876 His fight was won by we'll organized
and earnestly directed contests in every
debatable State, and for year or more
before the convention met Hanna was
tireless in his work. He had a strong
candidate in Mckinley; man of blame
less character of admitted ability, a
champion of protection, a soldier who
had carried his muskct as a private in
the flame of battle, and possessing many
attributes of personal popularity. Reed
in his rough way fought his battle more
heroically than wisely, and was finally
endorsed at the close of the contest by
Mckinley sweeping some of the New
England States from him. That defeat
ed Reed, and McKinley's nomination was
assured.
ION only one point did Hanna seriously
miscalculate the lines of safety. He saw
the cheap money and reputation issue
formidable on every side and in both par
ties, and he decided that Mckinley should
be nominated for President on a latform
that straddled the money issue in a
cowardly way. In order to give the cue
to the party on the money issue he called
the Republican State convention of Ohio
to meet on the 18th of March, 1885, and
that convention adopted the following
money plank, intended to be the McKin
ley platform:
we contend for honest money; for
q currency Of gold, silver and paper with
which to measure our exchanges, that
shall be as sound as the Government and
as untarnished as Its honor and to that
end we favor himetallism, and demand the
use of both gold and silver as standard
money, either in accordance with a ratio
to be fixed by international agreement
if that can be obtained or under such
restrictions and such provisions, to be
determined by legislation, as will secure
the maintenance of the PARTIES of value
of the two metals so that the purchasing
and debt-paying power of the dollar,
whether of silver, gold or paper, shall
be at all times equal
1.-THE Ohio money plank was generally
accepted by the Republicans of the West
as cunning straddle. that would hold
the cheap-money Republicans, whose de-
votion to protection made them willing
to yield something on the. money quesr
ton. but it was severely criticised by
number of the ablest Republicans of the
East, and before the convention met 1t
because evident that the friends of an
emphatic honest-money plank were likely
to dominate the body.
"The Republican National Convention
met at St. Louis on the 18th of June.
There was little or no dispute as to who
would be nominated for President as
decided majority of the delegates came
there for the purpose of nominating Nc
Kinley. Charles w. Fairbanks, of In
diana, was temporary chairman and pres
ent Senator John M. Thurston, of Ne
braska, permanent president. The strug-
gle over the money plank OF the platform
kept the convention in idleness until the
third day, when an agreement was
reached in favor Of the gold standard
There has been some dispute recently as
to who made Hanna adopt the gold plat
form. There were many earnest consul
tations in ST. Louis before an agreement
with Hanna could be reached, and it was
finally accomplished by number of able
members of the body deciding that they
would notify Hanna, giving him one hour
to accept the goldstandard platform, or
they would carry it into the convention
and compel McKinley's friends to meet
the issue in open debate. ! was at the
same hotel, on the same floor with Hanna
and knew just when that proposition was
sent to him, and knew also that in little
over half an hour he agreed to the de-
mand of the gold-standard Republicans
and it was then adopted without con-
test When the platform was reported,
Senator Teller, of Colorado, who led the
Silver Republicans, and who was mem
Der of the Committee on Resolutions, Of
fered the following as substitute for
the money plank Of the platform:
The Republican party favors the
use of both gold and silver as equal
standard money, and pledges its power to
secure the free, unrestricted and indie
pendent coinage of gold and silver at our
mints at the ratio of 16 parts of silver
to / of gold
Senator Teller delivered an earnest
and able argument in support of his sub
stitute. but it was rejected by S1S1a votes
to 1861. A separate vote was also had on
the financial plank as reported by the
majority, and ii was adopted by S1212 to
1902. When the platform was adopted,
Senator Cannon, of Utah, presented pro-
test against the money plank of the plat
form, after which thirtyfour delegates
from the Western States, including Sena-
tors Teller and Cannon, withdrew from
the convention. There was only one bal
lot for President as follows:
William Mckinley, Ohio, 661a.
Thomas B. Reed, Maine, SAY.
Matthew S. Quay, Pennsylvania, 611a