Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-12
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS
10. The Mckinley Bryan Race of 1896
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN -

WASHINGTON. D. C.-The hardest
fought political battle of American
history was the campaign OK 1870
In which william Mckinley Of o0io van
ouished William Jennings Bryan OF Ne
braska. The fact that Mckinley was re-
elected with case In his second campaign
against BRYAN. and that the Republican
majorities Of 1896 look so great on paper,
has caused many men Of short memory TO
believe that Mckinley Won ibis hrst eiec-
ton without great difficulty.
In that year the Democratic nominee,
Mr. Bryan. made the most remaEkaole
speaking campaign ever undertaken by
any man. In the same year the Repub-
lican manager, Mr.. Hanna. spent i've
times as much money as had ever been
spent before in a presidential race. The
Republican campaign was conducted with
such consummate skill that the>name OF
Mark Hanna will live for years as that
of the best political general the country
has produced.
The year 1896 was year Of political
revolution. Both OF the leading parties
underwent great changes and the mum
Der of independent voters was Increased
thousand fold Mr.. Cleveiand's second
administration began with the country
on the verge of q financial crash. The
blow descended and the panic of 1898 was
on. The money question, which both
parties had so carefully side-step9ed for
many years was presented In such a way
that the administration could not avoid
taking a position. Mr.. Cleveland and has
cabinet decided 10 place the country
squarely on the gold standard, and to
disregard the petty s0ps which had been
thrown to silver. The treasury regula-
tons accomplished this purpose long be-
fore the Mckinley administration came
In.
MCKINLEY TARIFF CAUSES
DEMOCRATIC LANDSLIDE.
For the first time since the first part
of Buchananss administration the Gov
eminent wa8 in the control OF the Demo
Gratis, that party having the president
aud a majority in both houses Of Con-
gress. Mr.. Cleveland called Congress to-
gether and urged the repeal of the silver
purchasing clause of the Sherman act,
which would finally "demonetize" silver
His party did not agree with him on
that subject, and 1t was with the great
est difficulty that his purpose was ac-
complshed.
President Cleveland had been an ex-
emplar OF civil service reform and was
opposed to 'pernicious activity" in poll
tics, but he went to the extreme of the
uselof patronage as a>elub 10 drive the re-
peal bill through Congress. Even then
1t was done only by the help OF eastern
Republican votes. 1t left hjS party hope
lessly divided.
The Democratic landslide, which re-
elected Cleveland. was the result of popu-
lar, disapproval Of the Mckinley tariff bill
Of 1890. After the terrific fight on the
silver purchasing clause repeal the Demo
cratic Congress eudeavored to enact n
Democratic tariff bill The party was
already torn asunder ana could act with
no unanimity. The result was the pass
axe oI me Wilson bill, which Mr.. Cleve-
land permitted to become a law without
his signature.
As the people had condemned the Nc
Kinley bill six months after IL was
passed and before its effect could pos
sibly have been felt, by the election of
the Democratic House In 1890, so the VIII
soa bill, charged with responsibility for
panic which was on before the bill was
written, resulted In the overwhelming Re
publican congressional victory of 1894.
All through the three years of the