The Monticellonian., 1901-09-20
Biographical Sketch

William Mckinley was born at Niles
 Trumbuu County, Ohio. January 2 iNt5
 He attended the public schools in lis
 neighborhoOd until 1861, when the out
 break of the civil war inflamod his am
 bition and aroused his patriotism 70 such
 a degree that, although only + years old
 he enlisted private soldier. His first
 service was in the Twenty-third Ohio
 volunteer infantry, with which Le served
 until the close of the war, beng mustered
 out as captain and breyet major at the
 age of 2l.
 He then studied law and was admitted
 to the bar, became successful and pOPu-
 lar lawyer, and from 1S69 to 7S1l was pros
 eCutlng attorney for Stark county c.
 About this time he began n turn his at
 tention seriously to politics I'd Was eject
 ed on the republican ticket to the Forty
 fifth. Forty-sXth. Forty-scventh, Fort. :
 eighth Forty-ninth and Fifuoth con
 gresses. In the house of representatives
 he made himself more popalaf as q com
 mitee worker than as deblter on the
 floor He made few speeches, but from
 the beginning he showed much interest in
 the tariff QfueStion, his first act as a rep
 resentative being the presentation of pc tit0n from ohio manufacturers. asking congress to take no action i'll the Way of
 tariff revision until a thorough inVestiea-
 tion of the needs of American industries had been made. He actively supported the civil service reform bill and MT. lIol-
 mans resolution declaring the Hnearned land grants to the subsidy railroads for felt to the government. Gradually he came to be looked upon by the repub- leans in the house as a power in the par tN, and at the republican national con- Vention in 1888 his name was freely men toned as a possible candidate for the presidency; but in this convention Me I<inley led the Ohio delegation, which had l been instructed to vote for Senator John Sherman.
 II is an interesting fact in Ameucau political history that there was point ill the deliberations of the convention when Maj Mckinley could possibly have had the nomination had he been willing to | ft1 Ha state ta his own interest but he abso- lutcly refused to let his name be use1 "l am here he said, by resolution of the republican convention Of Ohio, passed without one dissenting voice. com manding me to east my vote for John sherman and use every worthy endeaVor for his nomination. l accepted the trust because my heart and judgment Were in accord with the letter and spirit and pur- pose of that resolution. It has pleased certain delegates to east their votes for me. ] can not with honorable fidelity to John sherman, who has trusted me in his cause and with his condolences l can not consistently with my own views of per
 senal integrity consent. or seem to con- sent, to permit my name to be used as a candidate before this convention. l do re- quest, demand. that no delegate who would not east reflection on me shall east ,I ballot for me"
 Mai Mckinley went out of that conven- | ton one of the most popular men in the republican party, and as his views on l protection were the most pronounced of | all the protectionist leaders, 1t naturally | followed that the Harrison administFa- | tion placed the tariff question in hts
 hands. The result of this action was the
 drafting of a bill known as the "McKin- | ley bill" which afterWdrd became a jaw. Without attempting to analyze this bill. | it is sufficient to say that 1t placed a | tariff for protection only on the highest | ground taken since the time when Henry | Clay first laid a protection proposition be- | fore the country Maj. Mckinley rteired | from congress March 1, 1891, leaving his | ability as legislator and tariff maker to | be judged by his works with an estab- l lished party popularity and reputation In ] 1891 he was nominated by the republicans | for governor of Ohio. and was elected 1 over Gov. James l.. Campbell the demo-
 cratic candidate, after a most exciting | campaign
 Many will recall the great republican convention of lSs6 when William McKin-