The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-14

the village debati ting society, often re-
| lieNcd the postmaster, tried his ability
as teacher. and was marked as the
most promising boy of the community.
1t was there IN 1858 that he became a
member of the Methodist church, a
connection which he has maintained
throughout life. When Il years old he
left Poland to pursue a course of study
at Allegheny college, but sudden ILL
| ness compelled him to return home,
and soon afterward. like many young
Americans before and since. he began
his active career in life by teaching
school, He was thus employed through
the winter of 1S60-6l.
Service as Soldier
| He went from his schOolmasters
desk into the army. He was but boy
of IS, but he had learned abolitionism
| at the hearthstone. When Lincoln
called for volunteers young Mckinley
| was one of the first to enlist. He en-
tered Company + of the Twenty-third
Ohio infantry as a private, and he
! sOCn sew active service. For fourteen
n .n.hs lie trudged in the ranks and
| he was singled out for commissary SER
| seant lie displayed such conspicuous
gallantry at Antietam as to attract the
| notice of his superiors and win COM
| mission a second lieutenant In later
years, when he had risen TO be COVER
| nor of the great state of Ohio, the
| simple gent neness of his nature was
proved by this comment on that period
| in his career:
| Il always look back with pleasure
upon those fourteen months which
served in the ranks. They taught me
| a great deal. | was but a schOolboy
| when | went into the army, and that
| first year was a formative period in
my life, during which | learned much
| Cf men and life. | have always been
| glad that j entered the service as a
| private and served those months in
| that capacity"
| Mckinley's regiment saw much fight
ing in the eastern campaigns. He was
| promoted to first lieutenant and cap
| tam, and i'm 1864 was brevetted major
| fy President Lincoln "for gallant and
meritorious services at the battles Of
| Cpequan, Cedar Creek and Fishers
| liill' During a part of the time he
served on the staff of Generals r. b.
Hayes, Crook. Sheridan and Hancock.
He was tempted to remain in the
army, but at the request of his father
| he decided to return to civil life and
was mustered out in September, 1865.
| He was then in his twenty-thrd year.
Returning to Poland. he took up the
| study of law and soon afterwards
went to law college at Albany, n. Y,
| for tWo-year course. He was adj
mitted to the bar in 1867.
He was then poor young man of
"a, with no resources but his native
| pluck and ability. Seeking a larger
field of action than Poland offered, he
settled in Canton, Stark county, Ohio.
First Case at Law.
His first case was a suit for replevin,
which he tried for Judge Belden. The
| young lawyer scored q victory and
earned a fee of So. Fc proved to be
"A man of so much force that he soon
| impressed himself on the community
and after his arrival at Canton he
became the Republican candidate for
prosecuting attorney. The county
had always been so hopelessly Demo-
cratic that Republican nominations
We're empty hOnors, but he made a Wig
orous canvass and surprised old poll
ticians by winning. He was candi-
| date for reelection, and was defeat ted
by only forty-fve votes.
Returning to legal practice. Ma jor
Mckinley continued in private life un-
! til 1876, when he became a candidate
for the Republican nomination for con-
grcss. lie surprised old stagers by
| carrying every township but one in
his county against strong opposition
| The delegates We're elected by Eopu-
| lar vote, which made the candidate s
success striking evidence of the es-
TEEN of the masses. He was almost
as popular i'm the other counties of
the district and got his nomination on
the first ballot.
Congressman Mckinley held his
place in the national Legislature for
fourteen years in spite of the maChina-
tions of his political enemies to COM
pass his defeat. Three times the Dem
ocrats gcrrymandereG his district be-
fore they accomplished their purpose,
and then the master of politics turned
defeat into victory by winning the
governorship from his foes, In 1878 he
was put into a district with an ap-
parent Democratic majority of 1900
but he carried it by 1900. Six years
later his opponents tried another ge"-
| fSldnuef, nut ne turned Democratic
majority of 1000 into Republican
victory with l,5O0 votes to spare.
In 1880 third gerrymander put him
into district that had given the
Democrats majority of 1900 the year
before. Major Mckinley entered the
fight undaunted, and the contest was
one that attracted the attention of the
whole nation and even of Europe, for
the adoption of the Mckinley tariff a
short time before had made the great
champion OF protection hn object OF
international interest and importance
Prestige from Defeat.
1t was a political combat which has
been compared to that fought out be-
tween Lincoln and Douglas in Illinois
and though Mckinley lost by beggar-
ly margin of 303 votes, he came forth
from the fray resplendent in new glory
and greater prestige,
Congressman Mckinleys first not
able speech at Washington was made
In 1878 in opposition to tariff meas
ure proposed by Fernando Wood ON
the elevation of Garfield to the senate
and then to the White House two
years later, Mckinley was given a