The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-07-12
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Came to William McKinIey's Aid
When He Failed.
Friends Relieved His Financial Dis
tress, but 1t Was Messages of
Confidence That Kept Him
in Public Life.
By {. j. EDWARDS.

One of the well-known incidents In
| the career of William Mckinley was
| his financial failure during his first
term as governor Of Ohio Out of the
difficulties of that disaster he was
helped by his friends; and how his
friends focked to his assistance, and
what was the thing that really kept
Mckinley in public life at this time,
when he was seriously thinking of re-
firing under the burden of his per
sonal misfortune, are made plain on
the authority Of e. Prentiss Bailey,
the veteran newspaper proprietor and
editor of Utica, N. Y, who now holds
the record for the longest consecu-
tive service in the office of any one
daily newspaper in the United States
For years Mr.. Bailey has enjoyed the
confidence of leading men Of both
great political parties.
zone day in 1893, when | was dining
at my hotel in New York city," said
Mr.. Bailey, there walked into the
room and sat down at my table my
old friend, II. H. Kohlsaat of Chicago.
then part owner of the Inter-Ocean of
that city. We were in the midst OF
breakfast and the morning newspapers
when, suddenly, Mr.. Kohlsaat threw
down the paper over which he had
been glancing, exclaiming as he did 50;
"'This is dreadful news-dreadful!
Then, though he was 80 excited
that he could hardly speak, Mr.. Kohl
saat told me that he had just read
| ItoI, xuhi nh
reported that Governor William Nc
| Kinley was bankrupt-that his own
| fortune was lost and that of his wife
had been greatly impaired-and that
the governor had decided to give up
| public life and to turn everything that
| he possessed over to his creditors.
"'No man who knows William Nc
Kinley as / do can have the slightest
doubt that II financial ruin has come
! upon him he has not been himself re-
| sponsible for it, declared Mr.. Kohl
saat, adding. His friends must now
come to his support"
with that, Mr.. Kohlsaat rose from
| the table and left the room. After
while he returned and explained that
he had just telegraphed his sympathy
| to Mckinley and told him that one
half of all ! have in the world is
yours, yours in whatever way may best
serve you In this great emergency
| Mr.. Kohlsaat was still greatly agi-
tated, and without resuming his
breakfast, shortly excused himself and
| went away.
THE next time | saw him-a few
years later-he told me of McKinley's
experience Immediately following the
publication of the news that he had
lost his fortune. kilograms by the
hundred poured in upon the governor.
Many came from Democrats who were
his bitter political enemies; many 9th
ers were sent by persons with whose
names Mckinley was not familiar;
and and all offered financial assist
ance, almost every one urged him not
to give up public life, and every one
OF the dispatches-and the letters that
soon began to flow MEASURED him
that he stood high In the estimation
of the American people, and that his
misfortune would speedily make that
fact apparent to him.
Several men of financial ability, as
Is well known, undertook the manage
ment of McKinley's affairs and financed
him out of his embarrassment. I'm
doubtedly, many persons believe that
II was the action of these men that
persuaded Mckinley to remain In pub
lie life. But 1t was not, and | have
MIR. Kohlsaat's word for it. 1t was,
rather, the many messages OF conf
dence that came from all parts OF the
country that persuaded Mckinley that
| It was his duty to remain in public
| life as long as the people wished him
| to continue there, After these mes
cages had poured in upon him. and he
| had had time to realize what they
meant, he felt that he could not justly
resist those touching evidences of
widespread confidence in his personal
integrity"
Copyright, 1911, by ID. j. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)