In 1897 William McKinley became President. Like some other Presidents
before him he came of very humble people, and had by his own efforts
raised himself until at length he held the highest office in the
land.
McKinley was a keen protectionist. That is, he believed in putting
a heavy duty on foreign goods coming into the country, not in order
to get revenue or income for the needs of the Government, but in
order to protect the home manufacturer. He wanted to put such a
high duty on foreign goods that the home manufacturer could sell
his goods at a high price, and still undersell the foreigner.
In President Harrison's time McKinley, then a member of Congress,
succeeded in getting the tariff made higher than ever before, and
the Act then passed was known as the McKinley Tariff Act. And just
as President Monroe is known outside America chiefly because of
the Monroe Doctrine, so President McKinley is known because of the
McKinley Tariff Act.
For many years now the United States had been at peace. But the year
after McKinley came into office the country was once more plunged
into war.
In days long ago when Englishmen were struggling to found a colony in
Virginia, Spain was a great and powerful nation, and her dominions
in the New World were vast. But because of her pride and her cruelty
Spain lost these dominions one by one, until at length there remained
in the Western hemisphere only a few islands, the largest of which
was Cuba. But even these were not secure, and again and again the
Cubans rose in rebellion against their Spanish oppressors.
The Spaniards waged war against their revolted subjects in most
cruel fashion, and the people of the United States looked on with
sorrow and indignation at the barbarous deeds which were done at
their very doors.
McKinley had been a soldier in the Civil War, and had fought well
and gallantly for the flag. But like other soldier Presidents
he loved peace more than war. Like Cleveland before him he felt
unwilling to plunge the country into war. So he shut his ears, and
turned away his eyes from the misery of Cuba.
But there were many Americans in Cuba. They as well as the Cubans
were being starved. So ships were sent to Cuba with food for them,
and in this way not only they but many Cubans were saved from
starvation. Then a United States battleship called the Maine was
sent to Cuba, and anchored in the harbour of Havana, to be ready
in case of need to help the Americans.
For three weeks the Maine lay rocking at anchor. Then on the night
of 15th February, 1898, while every one on board was peacefully
sleeping the vessel was blown up, and two hundred and sixty-six
men and officers were killed.
When the people of the United States heard the news a wave of anger
passed over the land. But the President was calm.
"Wait," he said, "wait till we know how it happened."
So grimly the people waited until experts made an examination. What
they found made them believe that the Maine had been attacked from
outside. There seemed no doubt that the Spaniards had blown up the
vessel although they indignantly denied having had anything to do
with it.
Now there was no holding the people, and very shortly war was
declared. It was short and sharp. In less than four months it was
all over. On land and sea the Spaniards were hopelessly beaten,
while in the whole campaign the Americans lost scarcely five hundred
men in battle, although more than twice that number died of disease.
The war was fought not only in the West Indies but also in the
Pacific. For there Spain possessed the Philippine Islands. These
islands had been in the possession of Spain ever since their discovery
by Magellan more than three hundred and fifty years before, and
they had been called the Philippines after King Philip II of Spain.
Now the long rule of Spain came to an end.
The first battle of the war was fought in the Bay of Manila,
the capital of the Philippine Islands. Here the Spanish fleet was
shattered while not an American was killed. A month or two later
the town of Manila was taken, and the Philippines were in the power
of the Americans.
In the West Indies too the Spaniards were beaten on land and sea
and on August 2nd, 1898, she sued for peace.
By the treaty of peace Cuba became a free republic, while Porto Rico
and all the other Spanish islands in the West Indies were given to
the United States, as well as the Philippines.
But no sooner was the treaty signed than the Filipinos rose in
rebellion against American rule. For three years a kind of irregular
war went on. Then the leader of the rebellion, Aguinaldo, was
captured, and after that the Filipinos gradually laid down their
arms. And when they found that the Americans did not mean to oppress
them as the Spaniards had done they became more content with their
rule.
The winning of these foreign possessions brought something new
into the life and history of America. For now America began to own
colonies, a thing quite unlooked for, and not altogether welcome
to many.
At this time, also, besides those won in the Spanish War another
group of islands came under American rule. These were the Hawaiian
Islands, also like the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean.
Hawaii was a monarchy, but for a long time the people had been
discontented, and Queen Liliuokalani was the last royal ruler of
Hawaii. She wanted to be an absolute monarch, and do what she liked.
But when she tried to change the constitution to her liking there
was a revolution.
It was a peaceful revolution, and not a shot was fired on either
side. It was brought about chiefly by the white people who lived
in the islands. A company of marines was landed from the United
States cruiser Boston which happened to be in the harbour at the
time. The Queen was deposed, and a provisional government set up.
Stamford Dole, an American, was chosen head of this new government.
Dole then sent to Washington to ask the United States to annex Hawaii.
Meanwhile the stars and stripes were hoisted over the Government
buildings at Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii.
All this happened just at the end of Harrison's Presidency. He and
his advisers were quite willing to annex Hawaii. But before the
matter could be settled his term of office ended, and Cleveland
took his place. The new President did not feel at all pleased with
what had been done, and he sent a commissioner to Honolulu to find
out exactly what had happened, and if the people really wanted to
be annexed to the United States.
This commissioner came to the conclusion that the Hawaiians did
not want to be annexed and that "a great wrong had been done to a
feeble but independent State."
Cleveland therefore refused to annex the islands. He even offered
to restore the Queen to her throne if she would promise to forgive
all those who had helped to dethrone her. At first she would not
promise this, but declared that the leaders of the revolution must
be beheaded. In the end, however, she gave way.
"I must not feel vengeful to any of my people," she said. "If I am
restored by the United States, I must forget myself, and remember
only my dear people and my country. I must forgive and forget the
past, permitting no punishment of any one."
But when Dole was asked to give up the islands he refused. He and
his party were ready to fight rather than allow the Queen to be
set again upon the throne. And seeing him thus determined President
Cleveland gave up his efforts on behalf of the Queen.
So for several years Hawaii remained a little independent republic
with Dole as President. Then when McKinley came into power the
United States was again asked to take the islands under protection.
And in July, 1898, while the Spanish War was being fought, Hawaii
was annexed, and with solemn ceremony the flag was once more hoisted
in Honolulu.
A few years later the islands were made a territory. So the people
are now citizens of the United States, and send a representative
to Congress.
No President perhaps grew in the love of the people as McKinley
did. At the end of his four years' office he was loved far more than
he had been at the beginning, and he was easily elected a second
time. And but a few months of his second term had passed when people
began to talk of electing him a third time.
But when McKinley heard of it he was vexed. He told the people that
they must put such an idea out of their heads, for he would not be
a candidate for a third term on any consideration.
"All I want," he said, "is to serve through my second term in a
way acceptable to my countrymen, and then go on doing my duty as
a private citizen."
But alas! He was not to be allowed even to serve out his second
term. Only six months of it had gone when he went to visit the great
Pan-American Exhibition at Buffalo. Here he made a speech which
seemed to show that he was changing his ideas about high tariffs,
and that it was time now, he thought, to lower them.
Next day he held a great reception in one of the buildings of the
Exhibition. Crowds of all sorts of people streamed into the hall,
eager to see the President and shake hands with him. Among these
came a well-dressed young man who seemed to have hurt his hand,
for it was covered with a handkerchief.
The man came quite close to the President who held out his hand
with a smile. Then quickly the man fired two shots. Not an injured
hand but a pistol had been hidden under the handkerchief.
The President did not fall. He walked steadily enough to a chair,
and leant his head upon his hand.
"You are wounded," said his secretary.
"Ho, I think not. I am not much hurt," replied the President.
But his face was white and drawn with pain; blood flowed from his
wounds. Yet in his pain he thought only of others.
His first thought was for his wife, who was an invalid. "Don't let
her know," he said. But he thought too of the wretched man who had
shot him. "Don't hurt him," he murmured.
At first it was thought that the wounds were not fatal, and that
the President would recover. But just as every one believed that
the danger was over his strength seemed to fail him, and in little
more than a week he died.
There was such a shining goodness and honesty about President
McKinley that all who came near him loved and respected him. Now he
went to his last resting-place mourned not only by his own people
but by Great Britain and nearly every country in Europe besides.
Even his murderer had no special hatred of McKinley. He was an
anarchist who believed it was a good deed to kill any ruler.
So in the midst of his usefulness a good man was ruthlessly slain.
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