/ •fii THE LIFE OF WILLIAM McKINLEY IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME I ^fe^u^^f^J^' THE LIFE OF WILLIAM MCKINLEY BY CHARLES S. OLCOTT VOLUME ONE BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY MDCCCCXVI P7// COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY CHARLES S. OLCOTT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Published April iqib TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AND MOTHER PREFACE DURING the whole of the McKinley Adminis- trations, Mr. George B. Cortelyou, who, as Secretary to the President, was associated with him more intimately than any other man, kept a close lookout for biographical material. With a thorough- ness and care seldom if ever equaled, he treasured all the official and private correspondence, documents of every description, memoranda in the President's handwriting, drafts of speeches and messages, re- ports of telephone conversations, photographs, pam- phlets, and countless other items of interest. In addition he preserved his own shorthand notes of occasional remarks made by the President, and kept a diary in which were recorded, from a peculiarly intimate point of view, all the daily happenings of importance, in the White House, at Canton, or in the trains which carried the President to various parts of the country. Without reservation this entire collection was generously placed at my disposal. Its very bulk would have been appalling but for the pains with which it had been arranged, classified, and indexed. It was made vastly more valuable by the enthusiasm viii PREFACE with which Mr. Cortelyou, again and again, drew my attention to various items of interest, supplement- ing them from his own knowledge, and illuminating the subject with apt descriptions of scenes and inci- dents that had come within his personal observa- tion. Mr. William R. Day, now an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who, with Mr. Cortelyou, was administrator of the estate of President McKinley, and who, as neighbor and friend in Canton, Ohio, as Secretary of State during the Spanish War, and as chairman of the Peace Com- mission, was closely identified with many of the most important events of McKinley's life, has also mani- fested the keenest interest in the production of this biography and to him I am indebted for many letters, papers, and books of interest, for personal reminis- cences of great variety, and for his wise suggestions. Mr. Charles G. Dawes, of Chicago, was Comptrol- ler of the Currency during a part of President Mc- Kinley's first Administration, and, with Mrs. Dawes, was a frequent caller at the White House, where they enjoyed the most delightful social relations with Mr. and Mrs. McKinley. Mr. Dawes was one of a few younger men with whom the President liked to chat informally, and to whom he gave his confidence and sincere friendship. To his kindness I am indebted PREFACE ix for many intimate glimpses of life in the White House and for the use of his personal diary. For several years following the death of President McKinley these three gentlemen were by common consent regarded as the arbiters of all questions re- lating to the contemplated publication of an author- itative biography. I gladly acknowledge my debt of gratitude to them for committing to my hands what has proved to be a delightful task. I am also gratified to say that each of them has taken the pains to examine my manuscript and proofs, giving these volumes the benefit of their first-hand knowledge of affairs, besides much valued advice. There are many others whose kindness I am proud to acknowledge. Indeed, it has been a source of genuine satisfaction to find that the name of William McKinley was a kind of " open sesame" to the hearts of those who were most closely associated with him. My requests for assistance from these gentlemen have been met with such unreserved cordiality as to suggest that the quick response was made, not to me, but to the memory of the beloved Chieftain, speaking for the moment through my lips. Former Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks, who, as United States Senator, was one of McKinley's stanchest supporters, besides giving me many per- sonal recollections, kindly permitted the use of the x PREFACE unpublished manuscript of his Reminiscences. Colo- nel Myron T. Herrick, late Ambassador to France, another very close friend, placed at my disposal a large collection of personal letters, together with in- formation regarding certain important episodes that had never before been given to the public. Especial mention should be made also of Mr. Daniel J. Ryan, of Columbus, Ohio, one of the authors of an ex- haustive work on the History of Ohio, who sent me the manuscript of an extensive series of memoranda regarding the earlier political history of McKinley, up to the time of his governorship. Mr. Elihu Root, Mr. John W. Griggs, Mr. Joseph McKenna, Mr. Philander C. Knox, and the late Governor John D. Long, all former members of President McKinley's Cabinet, gladly contributed their aid. Among many others to whom I am indebted for their personal recollections are ex- President William H. Taft, Professor John Bassett Moore, Mr. John G. Milburn, Major Charles R. Miller, Mr. George B. Frease, Dr. Josiah Hartzell, Judge George F. Arrel, Mr. Joseph G. Butler, Jr., Mr. Allan Carnes, and Mr. James Boyle. To these must be added the names of Miss Helen McKinley and Mrs. Sarah Duncan, the two surviving sisters of Mr. McKinley; Mrs. Mary C. Barber, the sister of Mrs. McKinley; Mrs. Grace McKinley Heidt, a niece, and Mr. Wil- PREFACE xi Ham McKinley Duncan, a nephew of the late President. William McKinley was not a prolific letter-writer, nor did he ever, so far as I know, even attempt to keep a diary. His letters, as a rule, were either busi- nesslike communications, straight to the point, or, if purely personal, were written in simple, unassum- ing style, friendly in tone, and with occasional pleas- antries. They were not ornamented with literary embellishments, although, in his speeches, carefully chosen phrases and epigrammatic sentences were a distinguishing characteristic. Indeed, his unusual facility of expression and clear, forceful style, are seen to best advantage in the public addresses, and through them it would be possible to trace, quite accurately, the development of his political ideas. I have not hesitated to use extracts from them for this purpose whenever it seemed desirable. The let- ters, on the contrary, are inadequate to give proper expression to the real charm of McKinley's personal character. Too often the correspondence on some promising subject came suddenly to an end — dis- appointingly to the biographer — with a cordial "Won't you come and see me?" I have found a few letters that seemed to reveal the true depth of his nature; but as a rule McKinley did not commit to paper his plans and purposes, nor his inmost thoughts xii PREFACE and aspirations. He much preferred a meeting, face to face, and a confidential talk. If it has not been possible, for this reason, to tell the whole story of McKinley's life in his own words, as I should have liked to do, there has been some compensation in the fact that much of what he said in these private conversations has been remembered, and. sometimes recorded, by those who heard it. I have therefore allowed these favored friends to speak for him, wherever I could, at the same time drawing freely upon his speeches and letters so far as they have seemed available. McKinley's life, from his election to Congress in 1876, until the close of his career, was so interwoven with the vast political and economic changes which marked the last quarter of the nineteenth century, that any complete account of it must be historical as well as biographical. I have thought best, there- fore, to endeavor to draw the backgrounds somewhat full and deep, in order that the real achievements of William McKinley may be seen in their true rela- tion to the great movements of his time. Charles S. Olcott. January 22, iqi6. CONTENTS I. ANCESTRY AND ENVIRONMENT I II. BOYHOOD DAYS 13 III. THE VOLUNTEER 22 IV. THE LAWYER 55 V. COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE 64 VI. EARLY POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS 73 VII. THE TARIFF 86 VIII. THE PROTECTIONIST 114 ix. the Mckinley bill i 58 X. THE CURRENCY 194 XI. SECTIONALISM 210 XII. OTHER CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS 228 XIII. A NATIONAL FIGURE 241 XIV. GOVERNOR OF OHIO 269 XV. THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 293 XVI. CHOOSING THE CABINET 327 XVII. THE INAUGURATION 340 XVIII. THE DINGLEY TARIFF 350 XIX. THE CURRENCY 353 XX. CIVIL-SERVICE REFORM 362 XXI. THE ISTHMIAN CANAL 367 XXII. HAWAII 376 XXIII. CUBA 380 ILLUSTRATIONS William McKinley Frontispiece From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio. This portrait was considered by Mrs. McKinley to be the best likeness of her husband. The Birthplace of William McKinley, Niles, Ohio 8 From a photograph by Courtney,- Canton, Ohio. William McKinley, Sr., the Father of President Mc- Kinley 16 From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio. Nancy Allison McKinley, the Mother of the President 16 From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio. The Old Sparrow Tavern, Poland, Ohio 24 The speech of Lawyer Glidden calling for volunteers for the Civil War was made from the porch of this house. From a pho- tograph by the author. The Old Post Office, Poland, Ohio 24 Here McKinley was working as a clerk at the outbreak of the war. From a photograph by the author. William McKinley as a Boy of 15 48 From a daguerreotype. William McKinley as a Private Soldier at 18 48 From a daguerreotype.