The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-03-15
uEH !, is OF Ns1EROA,
Mckinley in Hour Of Great Per.
sonal Misfortune.
William S. Hawks Story OF the Fort'.
/ tude With Which the Ohioan Met
! Financial Disaster That Seem
tnaly Ended His Career.
BY e. J. EDWARDS.

BY e. J. EDWARDS.
William s. Hawk. president Of the
iOhio Society of New York city, one
sof the largest of the state organiza-
,Nons of the metropolis, was for many
years as intimate a personal friend
as William Mckinley had. The intt-
macy began in Canton. Ohio. which
was the boyhood and early manhood
home of Mr.. Hawk. How close that
intimacy YVES may be judged from the
fact that Mr.. and Mrs. Mckinley in
'vited Mr.. E.awk and his family to be-
e'lne their personal guests at the
White House at the time Of Mckin-
Icy S Inauguration as president. Prob
ably no one 10Y living had better
opportunities for observing Mckinley
in the privacy and the charm Of his
domestic life. or OF learning what
,McKirley's real personal character
was, than had Mr.. Hawk.
Il always knew that Mckinley had
strength enough Of character to meet
couragecusly, without finching, any
emergency. however. serious; was
perfsctiy prepared for the fortitude
and the beautiful resignation which
he displayed after he was laid low
by TIE assassin's bullet. His conduct
at that time was exactly what l would
have predicted.:' said Mr.. Hawk re-
Gently.
But I think, after looking back
ever my years Of close intimacy with
him, that possibly the finest example
Of his courage of his ability to stand
up against most ~grievous emergency
and en- arrassment. occurred at a.
time when he was q guest at my home
in New York city.
Mckinley was then governor of
Ohio. He looked forward to the fu.
ture with confidence: he felt assured
that the setback he had received
through his defeat for congress was
only temporary. He was In the best Of
health and spirits. He a never
more buoyant. And then. suddenly.
there came a dispatch from Ohio in
forming him of the disastrous failure
Of a business associate.
Il was with him when the message
came. He did not finch when he read
1T. Yet I knew from his attitude the
Thought that was dominating his
mind: this failure wculd make it nee
'essary for him 10 give up his cher
'tshed public career~-he would have TO
begin life all over again--he would
have to make determined efforts to
meet the obligations which his asso-
slate had assumed. for. whatever the
law might say about some of them.
4 nevertheless there was a moral re-
sponsibility attached to all Of them.
1T was at this moment that Mrs.
Mckinley. to whom Mckinley had
shown the dispatch. declared that he
must take oil of her personal for
tune. or 20 much of 1t as was neces-
, sary. in order to meet these obliga-
tons Immediately. McKtnley's only
, reply was that 1t vat incumbent OF
them to pack up their things immedi-
ately and take the first train for
Ohio. And he said 1t smt'ingly and as
calmly. outwardly. as though no great
shadow had settled down upon him.
% though his cherished political am
Billions had been realized instead OF
shattered.
AN hour or two later he babe me
soodby. knew that he was going
back to Ohio confident that his public
career was ended and with the full
knowledge that he must begin all
over again-that he had actually to go
. 10 work to earu an income sufficient
10 support Mrs. Mckinley and him.
self. Yet in his countenance I could
not detect the slightest hint of resent.
ment. the slightest trace Of sorrow, or
any indication whatsoever Of the
crushing of disappointment that
he must inwardly have felt In his be-
hef that all his high hopes of q pub,
tic career had been shattered.
Fortunately. as is we'll known,
there were friends who were able to
finance Mckinley out of his Difficult.
~; and how great was McKinley'e
happiness when he found that it was
not necessary Tor him to give up his
public ire no one need to be told"
Copyright. 1911. by e. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved.)