The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-09-17

in March, 1867, and settled In Canton,
which became his permanent home. He
soon attracted attention as lawyer of
ability, and, although Stark county was !
Democratic, he was elected prosecut- |
ing attorney in 1869. but he was defeat |
ed for the same office two years later. |
From this time forward Major McKin |
ley gave much attention to politics.
The seeming disasters in McKinley's |
career brought only greater honOrs. |
When Mckinley offered himself as a
candidate for speaker of the house OF
representatives. he found that two 9th
er western men-Burrows and Cannon
were asking for the place. Reed was
the only eastern aspirant. and he won
handily. 1t is a tradition in the house
of representatives that the speaker
shall appoint his most formidable OPP
ponent chairman of the ways and
means committee, and this chairman
becomes eX officio the leader of the ma
jority. This lot fell to Mckinley. ItI
was his opportunity, and he took ad
vantage of it by formulating the Nc
Kinley tariff bill The outcome Is
known to the world.
Two years later, after McKinley's
district had been changed SO as to
make the normal majority against him
more than 1900, he was defeated for
congress, but he made n strong show
ing by cutting his opponents vote down
to margin of 800. This led to his
nomination as governor of Ohio. and
his next step was to the White House.
Had Mckinley been successful in his
candidacy for the speakership, and
had he appointed Reed chairman of
the committee on ways and means, in
all probability he never would have
been president
But Mckinley kept to his work. He
had no false notions of luck. In one
of his addresses to young men he said,
Luck will not last" The president
held that
Is he whose earnest purpose never swerves,
Whose slightest action inaction serves
The one great aim.
So this brace of temporary setbacks
that he experienced merely afforded
him time and space in which to get
fresh hold on the lines of his destiny.
a
from Ohio to the national convention.
and helped to nominate James G.
Blaine. At the next national conven-
tion he represented the state in the
same manner, and supported John
Sherman. At that convention, after
the first days balloting, the indications
were that Mckinley himself might be
nominated. Then his strength of pur-
pose and his high ideas of loyalty and
honor showed themselves, for in an
| earnest and stirring speech he demand
| ed that no votes be cast for him.
In 1891 he was elected governor of
Ohio by a majority of about 21.OOO
| over Ex-Governor James E. Campbell,
the Democratic candidate. The issue
| then at stake was chiefly the tariff,
| but Mckinley also placed himself in
| opposition to the free coinage of silver.
In 1892 he was again a delegate at
| large to the national convention at
| Minneapolis, and was made permanent
| chairman. Although his name was not
| brought before the convention, yet he
| received 1S2 votes. He himself was a
strong supporter of President Har-
| rison.
| In 1898 Major Mckinley was re-elect-
ed governor of Ohio by majority of
S0,995. At the expiration of his term
he returned to Canton. He had been
| a political speaker and leader in con-
| gress. known and admired throughout
the country, and his popularity and
the confidence of the people in his prin-
| ciples and purposes were constantly in
creasing; hence there was little sur
| prise when he was nominated on the
first ballot at the Republican national
| convention at st. Louis in 1896.
M'KINLEY AS A SPEECHMAKER.
| Experienced campaigners declare
that Mckinley was an ideal candidate
He had all the courtesy of a Kentucky
colonel. and his gallantry was unfail
ing. His memory for names and faces
was phenomenal. Though not effusive
he was ever urbane. He had tact and
in all the relations of life was a living
exemplification of the suaviter in mo
| do.
His home at Canton, o., during the
| progress of his two canvasses for the
presidency was the Mecca of thou
sands of admiring supporters. The