The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-08
M'KINLEY'S ADMINISTRATION.

=, Monday at noon President MCKINNEY
took the oath of Office for his second
term. The conditions which confront
Mr.. Mckinley today are much differ
ent than were those of four years ago.
Then he assumed the chief executive
ship of nation which had passed
through the throes of hard times in
duced by putting into practice mis-
taken economic views, aggravated by
an agitation for the free and unlim-
tied coinage of silver. The country
had turned to Mr.. Mckinley because
he advocated a principle under which
the nation had seen it's greatest days
of prosperity and it was confidently be-
lieved that return to that principle
would again bring about prosperous
times. But the tariff question was
not the only one which President Nc
Kinley's administration had to face.
There was the money question. That
was really the prominent one on which
the campaign that resulted in his cleo
tion had been fought. Then there was
forced upon him the settlement of the
Cuban troubles, which had been
crowded over from the previous ad-
ministration. and which fin ally ended
in the war with Spain. Taken all in
all there has been no administration
since the formation of the republic
with the exception of Lincoln's which
has had as many difficult and delicate
questions forced upon it, as has the
Mckinley administration during the
past four years.
All the difficult questions which
have come up Mr.. Mckinley has met
in most broad and statesmanlike
manner, and he has made as few
mistakes as has ever fallen to the LOT
of man placed in such a high posi-
ton. He has grown wonderfully in
that time in public estimation. There
is no denying the fact, that many men
who knew the president well, doubted
his ability to meet the emergencies
as the troubles confronting his ad-
ministration began to thicken. They
looked upon him as weak, that he
lacked backbone. But as time passed,
as one emergency after another was
met with frmness that surprised
those who surrounded him it was OBJ
served that remarkable man had been
chosen president. His craftsmanship
developed as he progressed and he has
proved in every instance to be the
man for the place. The great questions
of his administration have been fairly
met as they have come up. He has
given the country clean, business
like administration and under it the
republic has taken its place among the
first nations of the world. 1t has in
the full sense of the word become a
world power. His administration has
taken leading place in the diplomatic
matters of the world and the president
has proven himself a match for some of
the worlds best diplomats.
The nation has become prosperous
under the wise policy he has cha M
pioned, and with sound money and a
protective policy has become the lead
ing manufacturing and exportin g
nation of the world surprising Eng
land in the volume of it's exports.
And in the shaping of policy which
has caused the growth of confidence
that has brought about such results all
has not been smooth sailing for Mr.
Mckinley. Few men have been more
abused than he. Not even Lincoln and
Washington were subjected to greater
misrepresentation. But for all this
abuse he has met the test of states
manship, and can point to successful
policies which have been achieved.
What the next four years will bring
forth, stands as much of mystery
as his administration was confronted
with four years ago. He has many
problems to face, but the nation has
confidence in his judgment, and if
spared. there is every reason to believe
that his second term will rank equal
to his first in the results it will &C
complish.