Evening journal., 1910-12-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Two Of MCKinIeyS Cam
paigning Methods
BY "Holland."
BY "Holland."

While the first presidential cam
paign for the election of William Nc
Kinley was in progress, Lieutenant
Governor Charles II. Saxton, OF New
York, visited Canton, Ohio, for the
purpose of arranging with Mckinley
for the isit of a delegation of New
York Republicans to the Mckinley
home. Mckinley stated that 1t would
gived him great pleasure to receive
any of his friends from New York
state adding, a moment later, that he
imposed only one condition. IF any
thing is to be said Of a political ma
ture. anything not purely social, then
| shall expect the remarks to be writ
ten out and submitted to me before
delivery" he said. This is a vital
point. When l am going to address
any delegation, | always make it a
point carefully to write out what am
to say" Ne
This was a rigid campaign rule with
Mckinley. Lieutenant Governor Sax
ton thouglWhat Mckinley had taken a
lesson from the unhappy experience of
James G. Blaine, who did not insist
upon reading beforehand the remarks
which were made by the Rev. DR..
Burchard at the now historic reception
rendered to Mr.. Blaine in New York
city Just before election day of 1884.
Had Mr.. Blaine been provided before
the reception with a copy of Dr..
Burchard's remarks he unquestiOnably
would have stricken out the phrase.
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion, 4"
words that undoubtedly cost Mr.
Blaine the election. Yet long before
the Bloine-Burchard incident occurred
William Mckinley had adopted the
rule of knowing beforehand what was
to he said to him and Of him by his
admirers and supporters. In fact, he
nut this rule into effect during his
first campaign for Congress.
Furthermore, Mckinley was prob
ably as careful in the preparation of
campaign speeches as was Roscoe
COnkling. William H. Seward or Ho-
ratio Seymour. Like those great cam
paigners, Mckinley took the utmost
pains in the preparation Of a political
address. Indeed, he went even far
ther than any of those men did, per-
haps because he did far more general
campaigning than any Of them, fire.
Quently speaking two and three times
day during an entire political cam
paign.
Having thoroughly thought out the
argument in support of the issues
which he represented, Mckinley la
bored assiduously over reducing his
arguments to writing That task fin
ally accomplished to his. satisfaction,
he then carefully divided what he had
written into sections. Sometimes a
section would consist of two or three
brief paragraphs. Sometimes it would
be long enough to consume fifteen or
twenty minutes in delivery. Again It
would come perilously near to en-
bracing everything that had been re-
duced to writing.
Never was a section Arbitrarily given
a certain length. Whenever McKin-
ly made a campaign tour Of any i'm
portance he carried with him a time
table of his own making. This showed
the places where he was to speak and
the length of stay in each town. II
the train schedule called for a one
minute stop at the next town McKin-
ley glanced over that portion of his
speech which could be delivered. and
was prepared In fact, for a one-minute
address. If a fve-minute stop was
scheduled, then he would refresh hi.
memory of the five-minute section OF
his speech A fifteen-minute stor
caused the fifteen-minute section to be
brought forth; and where time per.
mitted the entire speech would. OF
course be delivered. So skilful, how.