FIRST ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM MCKINLEY
_March 4, 1897, to March 4, 1901_
Few inaugurations have witnessed such a happy combination of good
weather, universal enthusiasm, and unusually large throngs of visitors
as attended the first inauguration of William McKinley.
President Cleveland drove to the Ebbitt House, where Mr. McKinley was
staying, and then together the incoming and the outgoing Presidents
rode to the Capitol accompanied by two members of the Senatorial
Committee.
Mrs. McKinley left the hotel about ten minutes before eleven o’clock.
She walked to the carriage leaning on the arm of Secretary Porter, who
had left the President-elect at the White House and had then returned
hastily to the hotel for the purpose of seeing to the comfort of Mrs.
McKinley. On the other side was Chairman Bell, of the inauguration
committee, and between the two stalwart men, the lady who was to be
first in the land was tenderly sheltered from the crowd which pressed
upon them from every side.
Mrs. McKinley looked pale but happy. With her were her sister, Mrs.
Mary Barber, little Kate Barber, and the President’s mother, who
refused to be separated from these members of her family. Several
officers of the regular army were in attendance to escort them.
After the ceremonies in the Senate Chamber, the President-elect was
sworn in by Chief Justice Fuller on the East Portico, where thousands
of people had gathered. In the bright light, his face, when he stood
bareheaded to take the oath of office, was clear to all.
Mrs. McKinley, his aged mother, sat close beside him, and her evident
pride and gratification were noted with pleasure, as was also his
affectionate greeting to her and his wife at the conclusion of the
ceremonies.
The presidential party took luncheon at the Capitol after the official
exercises on the inaugural stand and before starting to the White
House. It is said that Mr. McKinley ate sparingly, ordering only a
roll, a cup of coffee, and a piece of ham.
As he and ex-President Cleveland later emerged from the Capitol, the
cavalry buglers sounded a salute, the troopers came to present arms,
and the great throngs pressed forward to catch a glimpse of the new
President. Cheer on cheer went up, frightening the horses and making
some confusion in bringing forward the handsome turnout which was to
bear the party to the White House. The President bowed and smiled.
In his triumphal progress from the Capitol to the White House,
President McKinley had for his escort a famous volunteer cavalry
organization, Troop A of Cleveland. They preceded the carriage, while
behind came the Twenty-third Ohio, the regiment which the new President
had led in the days of the Civil War. Following in the wake was one
of the greatest military and civic cortèges ever assembled. It was
late in the day before the last of them had passed in review before
the President. The number of political clubs in the parade was greater
than at other inaugurations, and formed an interesting feature of the
festivities. Observing that the salutes were continuous, Mr. McKinley
at last sat bareheaded, hat in hand, waving acknowledgment to the
multitude.
Enthusiastic praise was given veterans in the parade. When General
Cecil Clay, who had charge of the District militia, passed the
reviewing stand he raised the remnant of his right arm in salute, and
the spectators rose and cheered with all their might. General Howard,
who had but his left arm remaining, was similarly greeted when he put
his reins between his teeth and saluted with his left arm.
When, at the conclusion of the parade, the President stepped on the
portico of the White House, he was met by Mrs. Grant, the widow of
the illustrious warrior and ex-President, who, in company with Bishop
Newman, had been patiently waiting for this opportunity of meeting him.
He greeted them so cordially that both felt fully repaid for their long
wait. The President then entered the White House, and a great crowd
that had followed his footsteps closed up against the doors. Failing to
secure admission, they took their station at the windows and eagerly
struggled to get at least a glimpse of the interior.
The President received a few intimate friends, including Senator Hanna;
then dinner was served. The guests were Abner McKinley, brother of the
President, Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Barber and daughter Mary, and Mrs. Maria
Saxton. The initial dinner at the White House was entirely informal.
Although no callers were received after dinner, thousands of curious
people crowded the portico and demanded admittance. It was only by the
vigorous efforts of a cordon of police that the doorway was kept clear.
Again the Pension Building was the magnet, drawing youth, beauty, and
fashion, as well as the curious, to tread the stately measure of the
march and dance. This time the magnificent ballroom was a symphony of
white and gold, which made a glowing background for the rainbow tints
of the gowns.
Mrs. McKinley’s ball gown of her favourite shade of blue silk had a
long train, high neck, and long sleeves. It was a lovely combination of
brocade and point lace, diamond pins fastening the lace at the corsage.
Diamond-studded side combs held her hair in soft puffs in front in
accordance with the prevailing fashion.
The President’s aged mother, very stately in her rich black satin,
seemed to get as much enjoyment out of the ball as she had got out of
the proceedings at the Capitol.
After the presidential party had greeted the assemblage as they
passed through the ballroom, supper was served in the room splendidly
decorated for them, and they returned to the White House early, as
Mrs. McKinley’s fragile strength had been put to a severe test through
the long, exciting day. The President’s mother, whose joy in her
distinguished son and his honours was a rejuvenating tonic, was also
fatigued.
A detail of the inauguration of particular interest to many visitors
was the unusual car which had been provided for Mr. McKinley’s trip
from Canton to Washington. It was a private car without name, known
simply as “No. 38.” The walls were of white oak, solid, instead of
the ordinary studding. The top was a double framework of steel with
a cushioned ceiling. The floors were of four thicknesses of white
oak. Such unusual construction made the car proof against smashing in
collision or breaking should it roll down an embankment. Every home
comfort was provided: an old-fashioned log fireplace, two elegant
bedroom apartments with bath to each, dainty china, rich silver, and
every conceivable luxury to make travelling a delight.
Mrs. McKinley brought with her a young German maid, devoted to her and
convinced that no former mistress of the mansion could approach her
beloved mistress in elegance. During the week following inauguration,
“Lena” took especial pride and delight in personally conducting Mrs.
McKinley’s relatives and intimate friends on an inspection tour of her
dressing room to display to them the White House outfits of the First
Lady and her niece Miss Mary Barber, who spent much time with her.
It is doubtful if any White House mistress brought a more complete or
elegant wardrobe with her than the one upon which Mrs. McKinley had
expended ten thousand dollars and much thought and in the selection
of which “the Major” had been drawn into consultation. For the early
formal functions she had provided eight unusually beautiful gowns that
brought enthusiastic praise for her good taste.
When McKinley, the twenty-fifth President of the United States, took
the oath of office on the 4th of March, 1897, he was admirably equipped
for the duties of his new position. He had been for years prominent in
public life; his personal character and private life had endeared him
to the hearts of the people; he was in the prime of manhood; he was a
student of affairs. He was more of a politician than of a statesman,
but the development of events proved that he could be either or both.
His regard for the popular will and his long training in accurately
judging its expression served as a restraining influence in his
policies and prevented dangerous and possibly fatal rashness. When
his plans had been fully matured, they were executed with skill. Each
succeeding year, with its additional burden of important questions, saw
the President broaden and develop in the art of government.
His early background had much to do with his success. He was born
in Niles, Trumbull County, Ohio, January 29, 1843. His father,
William McKinley, Sr., moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania. The family
was Scotch-Irish, whose forefathers had come to America 150 years
before. He was the seventh child in the family of nine. As a boy, he
had regular schooling and was especially noted for his brilliancy in
debate. Later, he taught in the public schools of the Kerr district,
near Poland. About this time, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church
and became a diligent student of the Bible.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was a clerk in the Poland post
office. When the call was made for volunteers, young McKinley was among
those who stepped forward. He went with the recruits to Columbus and
was enlisted as a private in Company E, Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer
Infantry. This regiment numbered among its officers William S.
Rosecrans, afterward major general, and Rutherford B. Hayes, later
nineteenth President of the United States.
[Illustration: MRS. IDA SAXTON McKINLEY]
[Illustration: _Photo. Underwood & Underwood_
WILLIAM McKINLEY]
Many are the soldier stories of camp and battlefield in which McKinley
figured. Henry H. Woodruff, of Oakland, Cal., who served in the same
regiment with him, sent the author the following story of the famous
old Twenty-third Ohio with McKinley’s service to it in war, and its
service to McKinley when he was President. He says:
“I was born in the township of Mecca, County of Trumbull, State of
Ohio, July 15, 1841. Wm. McKinley was born in the next township at
Niles, in Trumbull County, Ohio, January 29, 1843. I entered the
preparatory department of Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, about thirty
miles west of Cleveland, April 15, 1861. We were in class in old
Tappin Hall, when the Professor read a dispatch from Washington City
stating that President Lincoln had called for 75,000 men to go
to the front to put down the Rebellion. Instantly every male member
of that class volunteered, grabbed his hat, rushed out in front of
the building, and tried to form a line, or company, as we had no
military knowledge, being only farmer boys or students. We took the
cars for Cleveland, going into Camp in the old Fair Grounds called
‘Camp Taylor.’ Other companies began to arrive, officers were elected,
and we were formed into a regiment and given the number Twenty-third
Ohio. We soon moved to ‘Camp Chare’ at Columbus, where the regimental
organization was completed and Wm. Stark Rosecrans appointed colonel.
“As new companies arrived, I sometimes would go among them and get
acquainted with the boys. One day I visited Company E and, to my
surprise, found a _Private_, my neighbour, Billy McKinley. Colonel
Rosecrans took the regiment into West Virginia, where we were just
in time for the battle of Cainifax Ferry, September 10, 1861. This
is the first battle the writer or ‘Billy’ ever saw. We moved around
considerably, joining other forces all under command of ‘Old Rosey.’
We had fought nineteen battles before the war was over, commencing at
Cainifax Ferry and ending at Fisher’s Hill, in the upper Shenandoah
Valley.
“After serving as a private for one year, McKinley was promoted to
Regimental Commissary Sergeant and got his first shoulder straps, for
the meritorious act performed by him at Antietam. We lined up for
battle and commenced firing before the sun rose. McKinley, knowing the
condition of our haversacks, drew from the quartermaster 1,000 rations
of fresh beef, got camp kettles, pressed some men into service, cut up
and cooked the entire amount, pressed a teamster (John Harvey by name)
into service, got some crackers and drove along behind the line still
in battle, giving every man a chunk of beef between two crackers. I
thought then and still think it was the sweetest morsel I ever ate.
“This act was noticed by Colonel (afterward President) Hayes, who was
in command, and McKinley got a commission as Second Lieutenant. From
this he rose rapidly through all grades, ending with Brevet Major,
then Governor of Ohio, and President of the United States.
“Soon after his election he began to make plans for his inauguration,
and among other things, he issued an invitation to his old regiment to
assemble in Washington City and to act as his escort on Inauguration
Day, with the result that ninety-six members arrived at our
headquarters, very proud of our honoured Comrade ‘Billy,’ as he was
called.
“Next morning, we assembled in the Capitol grounds to witness the
_second_ member of our regiment take the oath of office as President
of the United States. We took the post of honour under the command
of Captain Skyles, whom we had elected as our Commander, formed on
Pennsylvania Avenue, and with great pomp and honour escorted the new
President to the White House, his future home.
“Next day was set apart for the foreign diplomats to make their
official calls on the new President. When we arrived there was a great
crowd ahead of us. English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, etc.,
with their retinues of officers and servants all waiting their turn of
admission. The doors were securely locked and guarded by armed men;
soon the President appeared at the door and speaking to the guards,
said, ‘Let my comrades in first.’ Captain Skyles gave the order,
‘_Forward_, Twenty-third.’ When I heard that welcome order, my head
swelled with pride and I got a California strut on me, as we marched
by so many waiting diplomats into the East Room, to shake hands with
our highly honoured comrade.”
Major McKinley participated in the final act of the great war
drama, the grand review in Washington. On his return to Poland, a
complimentary dinner was given him by the citizens. He entered the
office of Judge Charles E. Glidden, at Youngstown, Ohio. After one
year’s study under the preceptorship of Judge Glidden, he went to law
school in Albany, N. Y., and in March, 1867, was admitted to the bar at
Warren, Ohio.
On the advice of his sister Anna, he decided to settle at Canton,
and was elected prosecuting attorney of Stark County in 1869. He was
renominated, but missed reëlection by forty-five votes. Resuming his
private practice, he soon built up a profitable business. But in all
political campaigns he was in constant demand as a speaker.
Mr. McKinley was married to Miss Ida Saxton on January 25, 1871.
Miss Saxton’s grandparents were among the founders of Canton nearly
a century ago. She was the daughter of a prominent banker, James A.
Saxton, and granddaughter of John Saxton, who established a well-known
publication, the Canton _Repository_, during the War of 1812.
Miss Ida Saxton was born in June of 1847. As a girl she was extremely
pretty, lively, and popular. While completing her education she also
participated in the various activities of her time for soldier relief.
Her father undertook the supervision of her training and education, and
as soon as her graduation closed her studies at a seminary in Media,
he resolved she should be properly trained in practical business,
especially as she would have a little property left her. Consequently,
she served as his assistant in the bank with which he was associated.
When about nineteen, and when she had been in the bank about three
years, her father died. His loss was such a shock that she was
threatened with serious illness, and her older sister, with whom she
lived, persuaded her to travel abroad.
After her return to Canton came the romance of her life with the young
lawyer who had just been elected prosecuting attorney of Stark County.
Like the Harrisons, they started their married life in a boarding
house, but only until their own little home was ready. Here their first
child, Katie, was born, late in December of 1871. This little one
lived to be three years old. Another little daughter, named Ida for
the young mother, also died in infancy. Added to the grief of losing
her children, she had the additional sorrow of her mother’s death.
Altogether, the shock proved too much for her reserve force. From the
time she was sixteen, ill health had threatened, and the poignant grief
for her loved ones made her an invalid.
Mr. McKinley was first nominated for Congress in 1876, and elected.
During the progress of this canvass, he visited the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia and was introduced by James G. Blaine to a
great audience which he completely captivated.
He entered Congress while his old colonel, Hayes, was President, and
the friendship gave him at the start an influence which might have
taken a much longer time to win under other circumstances. His power
as a speaker brought him distinction, and his ability as a worker in
committees was soon recognized. He was reëlected to the Forty-sixth,
Forty-seventh, Forty-eighth, Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, and Fifty-first
Congresses. During his whole career in Congress, Mr. McKinley was a
consistent advocate of a protective tariff.
It was in the Fifty-first Congress that McKinley’s great political
opportunity came. He was a leading candidate for the speakership with
Thomas B. Reed. Reed was elected. The chairmanship of the powerful Ways
and Means Committee fell to McKinley. On April 6, 1890, he introduced
the tariff measure which has since borne his name. The bill became a
law on October 6, 1890. During all of the struggle while the bill was
pending, McKinley displayed qualities of leadership of the highest
order. Before the next election came around, his district had been
gerrymandered against him, the adverse majority being fully 3,000.
McKinley was defeated by 300 votes. His defeat really made him Governor
of Ohio. His victory over Governor Campbell, the Democratic candidate
for reëlection, was decisive.
He was the presiding officer of the Republican National Convention
at Minneapolis in 1892, when the attempt was made to stampede the
delegates for him. It was a most trying situation, but he bore himself
with coolness and decision. When Ohio recorded two votes for him, he
challenged the vote so as to put himself on record for Harrison. When
the roll call was complete, Harrison received 535 votes, Blaine 182,
McKinley 182, and Reed 4. Leaving the chair, Mr. McKinley mounted
a seat in the Ohio delegation and moved to make the nomination of
Harrison unanimous. Governor McKinley’s campaign tour through the West
for Harrison was one of the marvels of the time. He made 325 speeches
in 300 different towns. For more than eight weeks he averaged more than
seven speeches a day. He travelled over sixteen thousand miles and
addressed more than two million people.
Toward the latter part of Mr. Cleveland’s administration, it became
clear that the free silver faction of the Democratic party would
control the Democratic Convention, but the Republican Convention
assembled first. One of Ohio’s wealthy manufacturers, Marcus A. Hanna,
became convinced that the Republican party needed William McKinley
for its leader, and he set about bringing this to pass with his own
business methods. At the convention, Governor McKinley was nominated
on the first ballot, with Garret A. Hobart, of New Jersey, for Vice
President. The Republican platform declared for protection.
In the Democratic Convention, events had been more spectacular. Old
leaders were superseded by more radical ones, and the West became
a factor in politics with William Jennings Bryan making his first
appearance. He attended the convention merely as a reporter, and when
he seized the opportunity during a long debate to launch his Cross of
Gold and Crown of Thorns speech, he electrified the assembly, and in
the wild enthusiasm which it aroused, he was nominated. While John R.
McLean, of Ohio, had the lead for the Vice Presidency until the fourth
ballot, he lost to Sewall, of Maine.
Bryan made a meteoric speech-making dash over the country that played
havoc with party allegiance, for many Democrats swung to the support of
the Republican candidate, and many Republicans preferred to trail with
the following of the silver-tongued orator. From this time on, William
Jennings Bryan was a factor to be considered in the politics of the
land.
The platform of free silver faction of the Democratic party called for
the free coinage of silver at the ratio of sixteen to one and turned
against the administration of Cleveland.
The silver Republicans also had a convention, endorsing Bryan for
President and Thomas E. Watson of Georgia for Vice President.
The gold Democrats nominated John M. Palmer, Union veteran of Illinois,
for President and Simeon B. Buckner, a Confederate veteran for Vice
President.
The Prohibition party also split on the silver question.
The Republicans made their fight on the money stringency and the
tariff.
When the confusion subsided and the electoral votes were counted, they
gave the election to McKinley with a vote of 271; Bryan received 176.
A Republican majority prevailed in both Houses of Congress, and “free
silver” was thus proved not so alluring as a national measure.
Where McKinley went, Mrs. McKinley usually accompanied him, and from
the time he was nominated she had little peace of mind. At his home,
when the news of his election was read, she was greatly distressed.
“Oh, Major, they will kill you, they will kill you!” she exclaimed.
He put his arm about her and turned to his guests and, smiling,
remarked, “This little woman is always afraid someone is going to harm
her husband.” His calm, loving touch reassured her in a measure, but
some of her friends have declared that she never really knew peace of
mind when he was out of her sight, for they were satisfied she had a
premonition of his fate.
Immediately upon his induction into office, President McKinley called
an extra session of Congress to revise the tariff. The passage of the
Dingley bill, levying higher taxes on some exports, bade fare to cover
the revenue situation.
The trouble with Spain became the centre of attention and soon reached
a point where action was necessary, as the island of Cuba was in a
chronic state of revolt, and rebellion had broken forth over the
failure of Spain to redeem her promises of self-government. President
McKinley strove to keep out of participation, but the hostility of the
Spanish on the island was so intense that all his advisers urged the
dispatch of a warship as a protective measure for American citizens. He
demanded that:
“In the name of humanity, in the name of civilization, in behalf of
endangered American interests, which give us the right and duty to
speak and to act, the war in Cuba must stop.”
Endeavouring to give every opportunity to Spain in her promises of
reform, the President held Congress in temporary control, while reams
of diplomatic correspondence were interchanged. In the midst of
these communications--characterized on the part of the President by
insistence upon new conditions and on the part of Spain by plausible
evasions and constant seeking for delay--the American battleship
_Maine_ was blown up in Havana Harbour and 266 men were murdered. From
that moment, a war with Spain was certain. The President found the
country unprepared for a conflict. He temporized Congress and dallied
with Spain, while the armouries worked day and night and warships were
gathered in American waters from all parts of the world. Meanwhile, a
month and seventeen days before war was declared, Congress placed in
the hands of the President, without restriction or condition, the sum
of $50,000,000. It was voted to him unanimously by both Houses, a mark
of personal confidence and an evidence of the patriotic extinction of
party lines in the face of a great emergency.
The war cloud burst, and in less than ninety days the skies were
cleared again. Cuba had been liberated, Porto Rico had been gathered
under the American flag, and, as an indirect but necessary result,
Hawaii had been annexed. All of these things were not to be compared
in importance, however, with the fact that the defeat of the Spanish
fleet in Manila Harbour by Commodore Dewey’s squadron had ousted the
Spanish from their possession of the Philippine Islands, a possession
which they had enjoyed for three centuries. The United States at once
became a world power in the Orient. All the other remarkable events
of McKinley’s administration--any one of which would have made it
memorable--pale into insignificance before this acquisition of a vast
archipelago, with 1,200 islands and 10,000,000 people, situated 7,000
miles from our shores.
President McKinley, overwhelmed with problems which would have crushed
a man of smaller calibre and less experience with national affairs,
met his new responsibilities with admirable courage. He did not act
hastily. On the contrary, one of the features of his administration was
the deliberation with which he developed his important policies, and
for which he was most bitterly criticized.
The Philippines presented from the first the most serious problem.
Situated on the other side of the world, populated largely by savage
races who maintained slaves and recognized polygamy, the Islands
nevertheless possessed large commercial value and were considered
important because of their situation on the threshold of the Orient.
The military administration which the President at once established
was not altogether satisfactory, and he sought the assistance of
distinguished civilians, appointed by him as commissioners, in devising
another form of government. The military transferred to the commission,
of which Hon. William H. Taft was president, all duties of a purely
legislative nature. To this commission the President outlined in great
detail a policy which promised much benefit to the Filipinos, assuring
them of the enjoyment of the privileges contained in the American
Constitution and promising them better educational facilities, the
development of their commerce, and all the blessings which are the
heritage of the American citizen.
The war with Spain and all of its brilliant exploits, brief as it
proved to be, has been ably and fully covered by historians and war
correspondents. The most interesting figure in the light of later
events was Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, with his picturesque Rough
Riders, in the assault and victory of San Juan Hill. The achievements
of Richmond P. Hobson, of Schley, of Sampson are all brilliant pages in
an epochal era of United States expansion.
Admiral Dewey’s victory at Manila Bay was celebrated on his return with
a remarkable ovation. Once again historic Pennsylvania Avenue resounded
to jubilation. Among the many functions given to the distinguished
naval officer was the one at the Metropolitan Club.
The story of the dinner, unique in many respects, is given herewith:
“Two years ago, when club man George Dewey, then a commodore in the
navy, was on the point of leaving Washington to assume command of the
Asiatic Squadron, some of his club mates at the Metropolitan Club gave
him a farewell dinner. Wines were drunk, toasts were made, the best
fellowship prevailed, and the memory of the jolly, happy faces of his
friends lingered in the mind of Dewey all through the stirring events
of the two years that elapsed before his return to his country.
“Last night at the Metropolitan Club the same coterie of friends
gave to Admiral Dewey a dinner of greeting. Upon the menu card was
the menu of the dinner held on the evening of November 27, 1897. On
another page of the card was identically the same menu, but underneath
was yesterday’s date. Five of those who were present at the farewell
dinner were absent last night. These were Mr. William H. Emory, Mr. E.
A. Garlington, Mr. Thomas Hyde, Mr. Nathan Sargent, and Mr. L. Vogel.
“The feature of the farewell dinner given at the Metropolitan Club
late in November, 1897, was a poem by Hon. Archibald Hopkins. The poem
was such an excellent one and proved so prophetic that it has been
quoted from one end of the country to the other.
“Very naturally, Mr. Hopkins was asked to contribute something for
the dinner of last evening, as well as to recite the original poem.
Immediately after the victory of Manila Bay, Mr. Hopkins wrote several
stanzas as a sequel to his effort of November, 1897. All these were
read and received with much enthusiasm by the company last evening. A
few of the stanzas are quoted:
‘What mean the crowds, the marching men,
The flags when he appears?
First, welcome to the Admiral; then
There rings through all the cheers
‘Not only praise for victory won;
There is an undertone
Exultant in new life, begun
Not for ourselves alone.
‘He left us but an outside power
’Mongst those that rule the world;
He made us, with the greatest, tower,
Where’er the flag’s unfurled.
‘Paul Jones a fighter unsurpassed,
Our Farragut beyond all praise,
And Dewey, from Manila last,
To share with them undying bays.
‘No heroes ever trod a deck,
Or sailed the rolling seas,
Through stress of battle, storm and wreck
More glorious than are these.
‘An epoch struck on Time’s great clock,
The day he won his fight;
Henceforth our Anglo-Saxon stock
Keep step for law and right.
‘Henceforth with kin beyond the sea,
We bid oppression die,
And pledge the better days to be
Where’er our standards fly.
‘The laurel with the vine is twined;
Give freest rain to cheer,
For fate is kind, we’ve dined and wined,
And got George Dewey here.
‘And now to make our toast complete,
It leaps to all your lips
Here’s to the captain of the fleet,
The men who fought the ships.
‘And fill us up one bumper more,
Till every glass o’erruns;
Drink, if you never drank before;
The men behind the guns.’
“The dinner last night was held in the upstairs banqueting hall of
the club, the same room in which the first dinner was given, and the
diners occupied the same relative places that had been assigned to
them two years ago around the same board. The table was a big round
one. It was decorated with myriads of fragrant blossoms, banked in the
centre of the table and strewn over the cloth. There were no other
decorations excepting on one wall of the room hung the wheel of the
Spanish ship the _Reina Christina_, which was lately sent to the club
as a memento of the May morning in Manila Bay.”
Although Clara Barton had been the “Angel of the Battlefield” through
the Civil War, when she started her great humanitarian career with
the care of the forty wounded soldiers of the Sixth Massachusetts
after the Baltimore fracas, and the good angel of Europe through the
Franco-Prussian War and the Commune, for which she was decorated by the
governments engaged, it was in the Spanish War that American soldiers
knew her best and where for the first time the Red Cross symbol and
service made its value known. Through her persistent efforts, the
famous “American Amendment” was added to the Geneva Treaty of the Red
Cross which was signed by President Arthur. The American Association
of Red Cross was organized in 1881 with Miss Barton as president, a
position she held until 1904. It was at President McKinley’s personal
request that she carried relief to Cuba and did personal field work
through the war. In his message of December 6, 1898, he expressed his
own appreciation and that of the American people for her service during
the Spanish-American War.
After peace was declared, the unfortunate controversy between Admirals
Schley and Sampson as to the credit for the victory of Santiago led
to a long investigation, the matter having been referred to a Court
of Inquiry, of which Admiral Dewey was the president. This Court held
daily sessions in a large building in the Navy Yard, and after forty
days of investigation and thorough consideration of all the points of
criticism, Admiral Dewey rendered the following opinion of the Court as
a summary of all the testimony taken:
“Commodore Schley, in command of the Flying Squadron, should have
proceeded with utmost dispatch off Cienfuegos and should have
maintained a close blockade of that port.
“He should have endeavoured on May 23, at Cienfuegos, to obtain
information regarding the Spanish squadron by communicating with the
insurgents at the place designated in the memorandum delivered to him
at 8:15 A. M. of that date.
“He should have proceeded from Cienfuegos to Santiago de Cuba with
all dispatch and should have disposed his vessels with a view to
intercepting the enemy in any attempt to pass the Flying Squadron.
“He should not have delayed the squadron for the _Eagle_.
“He should not have made the retrograde turn westward with his
squadron.
“He should have promptly obeyed the Navy Department’s order of May 25.
“He should have endeavoured to capture or destroy the Spanish vessels
at anchor near the entrance of Santiago Harbour on May 29 and 30.
“He did not do his utmost with the force under his command to capture
or destroy the _Colón_ and other vessels of the enemy which he
attacked on May 31.
“By commencing the engagement on July 3 with the port battery and
turning the _Brooklyn_ around with port helm Commodore Schley caused
her to lose distance and position with the Spanish vessels, especially
with the _Vizcaya_ and _Colón_.
“The turn of the _Brooklyn_ to starboard was made to avoid getting her
into dangerous proximity to the Spanish vessels. The turn was made
toward the _Texas_ and caused that vessel to stop and to back her
engines to avoid possible collision.
“Admiral Schley did injustice to Lieut. Commander A. C. Hodgson in
publishing only a portion of the correspondence which passed between
them.
“Commodore Schley’s conduct in connection with the events of the
Santiago campaign prior to June 1, 1898, was characterized by
vacillation, dilatoriness, and lack of enterprise.
“His official reports regarding the coal supply and the coaling
facilities of the Flying Squadron were inaccurate and misleading.
“His conduct during the battle of July 3 was self-possessed, and he
encouraged in his own person, his subordinate officers and men to
fight courageously.
“GEORGE DEWEY,
_Admiral, U. S. N., President_.
“SAM. C. LEMLY,
_Judge-Advocate-General, U. S. N., Judge-Advocate_.
“In the opinion of the undersigned, the passage from Key West to
Cienfuegos was made by the Flying Squadron with all possible dispatch,
Commodore Schley having in view the importance of arriving off
Cienfuegos with as much coal as possible in the ships’ bunkers.
“The blockade of Cienfuegos was effective.
“Commodore Schley in permitting the steamer _Adula_ to enter the port
of Cienfuegos expected to obtain information concerning the Spanish
Squadron from her when she came out.
“The passage from Cienfuegos to a point about 22 miles south of
Santiago was made with as much dispatch as was possible while keeping
the squadron a unit.
“The blockade of Santiago was effective.
“Commodore Schley was the senior officer of our squadron off Santiago
when the Spanish Squadron attempted to escape on the morning of July
3, 1898. He was in absolute command, and is entitled to the credit due
to such commanding officer for the glorious victory which resulted in
the total destruction of the Spanish ships.
“GEORGE DEWEY,
_Admiral, U. S. N., President_.
“SAM. C. LEMLY,
_Judge-Advocate-General, U. S. N., Judge-Advocate_.
“Recommendation
“In view of the length of time which has elapsed since the occurrence
of the events of the Santiago campaign, the Court recommends no
further proceedings be had in the premises.
“GEORGE DEWEY,
_Admiral, U. S. N., President_.
“SAM C. LEMLY,
_Judge-Advocate-General, U. S. N., Judge Advocate_.”
Garret A. Hobart, the genial Vice President, died on November 21, 1899.
With the approach of the election in 1900 the successful war President
had no opposition in the Republican Convention and was renominated,
with the Governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt, as his reluctant
team mate. The Convention endorsed the administration.
Once more the Democratic Convention pinned its faith to William
Jennings Bryan by nominating him for President, with Adlai Stevenson,
Grover Cleveland’s Vice President, chosen for his former office. The
free coinage of silver was presented as part of the platform, but the
opposition to the expansion of United States territory was the policy
emphasized. McKinley and Roosevelt received 292 electoral votes to the
155 cast for Bryan and Stevenson. Thus, after four years crowded with
stirring events of national interest and vital importance, buffeted
between public sentiment and private conviction, President McKinley,
the triumphant war President, found himself again installed as the
people’s choice.