Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-19
WILLIAM M'KINLEY'S CAREER
Noteworthy Events in the Life of
Departed Statesman.
His Private Character and Public Ser
vices Ancestry and Boyhood
Asa Soldier and Lawyer
His Political Career.

| William MCKINLEY was horn in Milo.
O.. Jan. 20. lSi3 tho son of William, ,,rd
Nancy Campbeu 1Allison, NcI<inIcv liz
was educated in the public schools Of his
native town. nnishinp his educntior ~
Poland Academy and Aiioybanv roiio,,,
At the breaking out Of thr v,nr of ~.
rebellion, young MCKINLEY was tenrbtng
school lie enlisted as a private in the Sd
Ohio volunteer infantry in 1861 Tho fol
lowing year he received the chevron. of
n commissarv sergeant and later In that
year secured the straps of n second lion
tenant In 1864 a bat was added To his
straps and he was commissioned first
lieutenant. In lsG; he was made cantain
He served on the stoffs Of Gen. Riitb.r-
ford =. HAYES George Crook and Niuti.ld
S. Hancock March H. 1861 President Lin
coin brcvetted him major for yaIl,ntrv
i'm action. He was detailed as acting az
sistant adiutant- general. LIST division list
army CORDS at which most ne was SERVING
when mustered out July o. 1865
At the close of the war he began the
tudv of law in Mrhouinc county g.
finishing with a course AT the Albany
CN. " law school. from which institu-
ton he was graduated in 1861. The same
year he was admitted to the ohio bar. and
settled in Canton. o.. where he has since
resided. Two years after his admission to
the bar he was elected prosecuting attor-
ncy for Stark county. He was married
in Canton in ISL to Ida, daughter OF
James a. Saxton. From 1876 to 1891 hc
served AS member of the national
House OF representatives. In 1890. as
chairman of the committee of ways and
means. he reported the now famous Nc
kinloy tariff bill
i'oin''rh''G leeisId'ure having gerry
fratcd for Congress at the November
election. 1880. In 1891 he was elected gov
ernor of Ohio and two years later was re-
elected In 1885, he was a dele gate-at-large
to. the Republican national convention.
was member of the committee on reso-
lutions and an ardent supporter of James
6. Blaine. Four years later he was a dele
gate supporting John Sherman for the
presidency. and was chairman of the COM
mittee on resolutions. In 1892 he was "A
delcgatc-at-large to the national convon-
ton. and was made its chairman. He re-
coiNod 1872 votes for president, but refus d
to allow his name to he considered, sup
porting the denomination of Benjamin
Harrison.
The Republican national convention,
which was held at st. Louis in June, 1926,
nominated Mckinley for the presidency.
giving him Sol votes out of total poll of
9o5. In November of that year he WAS
elected president, receiving "A popular
plurality Of 100000 votes. having o7l cleo
toral votes as against 176 for William j.
Bryan. on June o. 1900, he was unani-
mously renominated by the Republican
national convention at Philadelphia. The
November elections gave him another vic
tory over Bryan. his popular plurality be-
ing ,000 votes, his electoral vote being
90, against 155 for MIR, Bryan.
ING c,p,r, -. ,,,,,,,,
iN i'i ALL
William Mckinley was sprung from
that dominant race that has furnished
this nation with some of its greatest SOL
disrs ana statesmen He was Scotch
by descent. and his ancestory immigrated
to this country early enough to have sons
who took a patriotic part in the war of
''r ,r,a ~, r1ii'! ros FROM po.,,,n,,
to ohio in 1914. and from that day have
been identified with that state, not In
great public way but simply MS faithful
and devoted citizens not striving for par
ticular eminence, hut notable Tor sturul-
ness of character and integrity.
II was among such peopl" and of them
that william Mckinley was born. \
younger son, he was destined by his
father. after whom he was named, for thu
hnr. and was educated at the public
schools. and later entered Allegheny
college at Meadvine Ia, teaching school
to pay his tuition fees. Scarcely
was he matriculated when the civil war
came on. He was but stripping Of -
when he entered ms a private
Mckinley as those who remember HIM
as boy in Poland declare, was a real hoy,
fun of gun, loving athletic sports, fond Of
horses and hunting and fishing, and AL
,utdoor exercises. and Yet at 10 we find him
aking upon himself serious view Of life.
The church records show that In 1855, when
ne was hardly L. he United with the
Methodist Episcopal church OF Poland, tn
minister of which was Rev. DIR. Day. whose
son. Wilson NJ. Day, Is now President OF
the Cleveland Chambers of commerce.
Major Mckinley's father was an iron
and a pion. er in that bust
ness William was his third son.
,,.,,r,. NINA go, rms,
" Ni->'Hi iii'@ 'O'-Aih- N
Young Mckinley had bcon a keen OBJ
server. so far as his opportunities went.
IF the political events that eliminated
n the firing on Fort sumter The call
If the President for troops found a quick
'esponse in his breast. ms it did all through
he north And when the drums and hfts
aroused the echoes of the quiet streets OF
Poland, among the first applicants for en-
istment was William Mckinley. Jr.
II was A new experience and a new
school that the lS-ycar old box entered.
his school of war. but he had wonderful
eachers. 1t was his good fortune that
assigned him to tho 'rwenty-third Ohio
he recruits that composed it were in .Jure
SCI mustered and formed into a regimen.
is first colonel was William :. Rosecrans
fterward major general commanding the
lrpartment of the Cumberland second
n command was STANLEY Natthcvs u,bo
ras a splendid soldier. hut won his rroat-
st honors in civil life by Incoming T'nite1
states senator and justice of the United
,totes sunrema rourt ard D,,,hn,fari ~