McKINLEY’S LOYALTY TO SHERMAN, BLAINE AND HARRISON.
Governor McKinley’s splendid record as a public servant made him a
presidential quantity long before he was put forward for the nomination
as the “favorite son” of Ohio; but he was ever loyal to his party’s
interest, and his party associates, and at no time allowed ambition to
blind him to duty. This was clearly evidenced in the Republican National
conventions held in 1884 and 1888. It was in these gatherings that Major
McKinley’s claims to leadership—or at least to be considered as one of
the prominent men of the nation in the councils of his party—came to be
recognized. He was a “Blaine” man at this convention. In supporting Mr.
Blaine he but represented the overwhelming sentiment of the Mahoning
valley; and yet, while he favored Mr. Blaine, he had the kindliest
feeling for the illustrious Senator from Ohio, John Sherman, who at that
convention was also a candidate for the Presidency. Major McKinley was a
strong advocate of the sentiment that all legitimate means should be
sought to nominate Mr. Blaine, but if that was impossible, Ohio should
cast a solid vote for Mr. Sherman.
The Ohio Republican state convention was held at Cleveland in April,
1884. McKinley went to Cleveland fresh from a tariff debate in Congress,
and was made permanent chairman of the convention. The Blaine following
manifestly was in the majority at the convention, but the Sherman men
had the best organization, and most of the “old-time” politicians of the
state were pronouncedly in favor of the Ohio Senator. The great struggle
at the convention was on the election of four delegates-at-large.
Although it was well understood that Foraker’s first choice was Sherman,
the Blaine men generously acquiesced in his election by acclamation as a
delegate-at-large. A number of names were then presented for the
remaining three places, and a sensation was created when one delegate
mounted a chair and nominated Major McKinley.
Major McKinley from his place as presiding officer thanked the
convention, but said that he could not allow his name to go before it at
that time, as he had promised that he would not allow his name to be
used while the names of certain candidates were before the convention.
The uproar became tumultuous. A majority of the delegates were plainly
in favor of the election of Major McKinley by acclamation, although
there was some objection. One of the delegates, assuming the
prerogatives of the chair, put the motion, and declared it carried.
Major McKinley ruled that the motion had not prevailed. General
Grosvenor mounted the platform and the second time put the motion and
declared it carried.
Again Major McKinley ruled that the motion had not prevailed and
insisted on the vote being taken on the names already submitted,
excluding his own. Once more General Grosvenor arose—this time to a
point of order. He insisted that Major McKinley had been elected by
acclamation, and that the convention had now to elect two more
delegates-at-large. The chair overruled the point of order, and amid
tumultuous confusion ordered the balloting to go on. A delegate arose
and asked the convention to consider Major McKinley as having been put
in nomination, despite his declination. At this there were thunders of
cheers. From early in the balloting it was evident that Major McKinley
was bound to be elected. Counties that had favored other candidates
abandoned them and voted solidly for the Major. After between 300 and
400 votes had been cast for Major McKinley and it was recognized by
everybody that he had already been elected, a motion was made that he be
elected by acclamation. Further contest was stopped, and Major McKinley
was elected a delegate-at-large by acclamation.
In the National Convention at Chicago Major McKinley bore himself
modestly, but his great quality of leadership came to the front by force
of circumstances. He only spoke two or three times from the floor of the
convention, but every time he arose he attracted attention, and the
influence he exerted was remarkable. At the critical time during the
convention his was the voice that rallied the Blaine forces. Three
ballots had been taken. Blaine gained on each ballot. The final and
desperate effort was made by the other candidates under the lead of the
dashing Foraker, in Sherman’s behalf, for an adjournment. There was
pandemonium, and there threatened to be a panic.
In the midst of the storm Major McKinley arose. He waved his hand and
the tumult ceased. Calm and like granite he stood the master spirit of
the convention. His short speech was carried in clarion tones all over
the immense hall. As a friend of Blaine, he said, he recognized and
respected the rights of the friends of other candidates to secure an
adjournment, and concluded:
“Let the motion be put and let everybody favorable to the nomination of
Blaine vote against it.”
That settled it. Under Major McKinley’s leadership, assumed
spontaneously and boldly, the Blaine men accepted the challenge, the
motion for an adjournment was voted down, and the victory was won. It
was not defeat that Major McKinley turned aside—the situation was not so
serious as that—but in a crisis, when the Blaine men were getting
demoralized and the convention was turning itself into a mob, the Major,
leaping to the front, by one command marshaled the Blaine men into line
and pressed them forward to their already sighted victory. Major
McKinley was chairman of the committee on resolutions at that
convention, and when he appeared to read the platform he received an
ovation that was one of the features of that great event.
Major McKinley’s next appearance at a Republican national convention was
in 1888, and this time he came at the head of the Ohio delegation, and
in John Sherman’s behalf. At this convention Mr. McKinley conspicuously
illustrated his character for loyalty to his friends and his word. No
candidate had been able to secure a majority. Sherman, Alger, Allison,
Harrison, Gresham, and Depew, all had a strong following, but none was
near a nomination. Major McKinley, at the head of the Ohio delegation,
instructed to vote his delegation solidly for Sherman, was one of the
heroes of the convention. His entrance at each session was greeted with
the wildest enthusiasm. Day and night he was at work among the various
state delegations, laboring to secure votes for Ohio’s great financier.
On the sixth ballot a delegate voted for William McKinley, and was
greeted by cheers which swelled again and again before silence could be
restored. The next state that was called cast seventeen votes for Major
McKinley, and again the cheers broke forth. The drift was unmistakably
setting toward McKinley like an ocean tide.
Everyone expected to see the Garfield nomination of 1880 repeated. But
they were disappointed. The roll call was interrupted by the Major, who,
leaping upon a chair at the end of the middle aisle, pale, but calm and
determined, uttered a speech which, unpremeditated as it was, has seldom
been surpassed for eloquence, candor and unselfish loyalty. In it he
declared his inability to be a candidate with honor to himself, and
proclaimed his unswerving loyalty to the Ohio chieftain. The tide was
turned. On the seventh ballot Benjamin Harrison was named, but McKinley
went home to Ohio stronger than ever in the hearts of his fellow men.
Some time before the Republican National Convention of 1892, held in
Minneapolis, Minn., June 7, Governor McKinley had privately and publicly
expressed himself as in favor of the renomination of President Harrison.
Having committed himself, the Governor stood by his declaration. He was
elected a delegate-at-large as a Harrison man, and the understanding was
that Ohio would vote solidly for the President’s nomination.
The convention elected Governor McKinley its permanent chairman. R. M.
Nevin of Dayton was his alternate. Before he took the chair as presiding
officer the Governor specifically charged Mr. Nevin to vote for
Harrison. Only one vote was taken on the nomination for President. When
Ohio was called ex-Governor Foraker said Ohio asked time for a
consultation, and after a pause the vote of the state was announced as:
Harrison, 2 votes; William McKinley, 44. Chairman McKinley immediately
sprang from his seat and shouted:
“I challenge the vote of Ohio!”
A brief and animated debate then ensued between ex-Governor Foraker and
Governor McKinley, in which Foraker told the chairman that he had ceased
to be a member of the Ohio delegation on assuming the post of presiding
officer, and could not be recognized. Finally a roll call of the Ohio
delegation was ordered, and this resulted, McKinley, 45; Harrison, 1.
The only vote for Harrison cast by the Ohio delegation was that cast by
Governor McKinley’s alternate. President Harrison was renominated on the
first and only ballot, but the Governor had 182 votes cast for him
despite the fact that he was not a candidate. At the conclusion of the
balloting Governor McKinley took the floor and moved that the
President’s nomination be made unanimous, and the motion carried. The
Governor was chosen chairman of the commission that officially notified
the President of his nomination.
The result of the campaign of 1892 was a surprise to both the leading
political parties. Grover Cleveland, the Democratic candidate for
president, was elected, and both the house and senate had large
Democratic majorities. The political revolution was remarkable, and was
largely due to the Populist movement, and to fusion between the
Populists and Democrats in the South and West. The clamor for the free
coinage of silver, at the ratio of 16 to 1, and the industrial
depression which set in in 1893, brought Governor McKinley into the
public eye as the man calculated to restore prosperity to the country.
Meanwhile he adhered strictly to his duties as governor of Ohio.
[Illustration:
DR. P. M. RIXEY, PRESIDENT McKINLEY’S FAMILY PHYSICIAN.]
[Illustration:
GOVERNOR McKINLEY IN HIS LIBRARY GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS POLITICAL
MANAGERS. (1896.)]