The Washington times., 1920-04-27
By Mrs. Larz Anderson.

~ AAA VI @~4
II was in 1897. during the ad-
ministrstion OF President Mckinley,
that we settled in Washington. My
husband had formerly lived here Tor
many years, however. and his
mother could remember when there
was IAN earth road, or village
street, with wheel tracks meander-
ing from the colonnade OF the
Treasury hard by TO the white
marble columns and front or the
Postofnce and Patent Once which
faced each other in the distance
like white Greek temples In the
abandoned gravel pits OF a deserted
Syrian city"
In looking through LIS journal
came upon this bit, written at the
time OF McKinley's election. and re-
calling SO vividly the uproar that
Bryan's cry for the free coinage OF
silver aroused: "Thank God, our
country is saved! Here in Wash
ington. though there was less ex-
eitement, perhaps, than elsewhere
yet there WAS more real apprecia-
tion OF the terrible importance OF
the days election, for the national
honor was felt to be at stake. The
rrst excitement occurred when Mrs.
Blaine sent over a telegram telling
of New York's big vote. i hurried
round to the club, where a special
wire told the latest news, and came
back to tell the Blaines what was
then known; afterward I went back
to the club and stayed until mid
night. When everything was set
tied / came home to bed. So II is
all over, and well over" As time
goes on. IL seems as II every cleo
ton was vital and all-absorbing-
and. Indeed. they are.
The White House did little enter
Naining during the administration
which followed. partly because the
McKinleys were simple people and
partly because of Mrs. McKinley's
illhealth. The President made a
very distinguished appearance,
however. with his hne head and
aauiline nose. and his dignified yet
kindly manner. Although some
times called "the paciher," he
had q splendid record in the civil
war, having been brevetted ma5ors
for gallant services. Il think
nearly all the Presidents up to
Taft's time had had some military
traininE.) After the war he became
q lawyer, and In 1876 was elected
to the House Of Representatives.
His Mckinley bill' Of 1890 for re-
duced revenues and very high Gus
toms duties, which put sugar on
the free list and protected many
young Industries, brought him at
once into prominence. Later he be-
came governor of Ohio, and in 1896,
after a campaign conducted by the
great Mark Hanna, he was nomi-
mated for President %
Choose Able Assist,nts.
Once in office. he gathered clean.
efficient men about him and then
a proceeding quite refreshing to re-
member in these days-gave them
the credit for everything! Various
questions came up that .seemed
momentous at the time-the an
nexation Of Hawaii and the Samoan
group; the Boxer outbreak and our
participation in the march of the
allies on Pekin-Aguinaldo's revolt,
and the bitter protest against i'm
perialism led by men like Hoar and
Reed and Carl Shurz. AS each stu
alton arose people felt that the
country was going to the dogs
then and there, but we managed
to survive somehow and go head,
and I suppose we shall still.
An Anglo-American alliance was
put through which divided the press
of the country into a party that
praised and one that derided.
Life came out with a skit which,
in it's second stanza, proved some
what prophetic:
'-The Eagle and the Lion
Went walking hand in hand.
They laughed like anything to see
Such quantities of land;
IF 1t could all belong to us
| think 1t would be grand
-If seven kings with seven hosts
Should want the reason why,
Do you suppose the Eagle said,
We'd funk it, you and ~
Tdoubt IT,, said the Lion,
And winked a humble eye"
An ominous situation had devel-
oped in Cuba, where. after ten years
of insurgent warfare against Spain,
tho natives were being rapidly ex-
terminated. So many barbarities
were inflicted on them, in fact, that
at last our Government warned
Spain that her war must be con-
Quoted in more humane manner.
On the 9th OF February interven-
tion in Cuba was discussed, and six