sections of the country. He went into the eastern states, where the opponents of the free silver doctrine were strongest and made numerous speeches, but did the most of his work in the south and west. His fame as an orator drew thousands to hear him, and under the spell of his eloquence millions were brought to believe with him. When the campaign was well under way, and the Republican leaders had in a measure checked the spread of the free silver doctrine, they put forward again the doctrine of a protective tariff, and declared it to be the real issue before the people, and its maintenance necessary to the renewed prosperity of the nation.

Governor McKinley remained at his home in Canton during the exciting summer of 1896 and there received the homage of hundreds of thousands of his fellow citizens. People of all ages and classes visited him and day after day he made speeches to those who asked for light. He exhibited his wonderful familiarity with the concerns of the people, by pointed remarks touching the welfare of every interest that sought his advice, and proved that the people had made no mistake in their estimate of him.

The result of the election was, McKinley, 7,061,142 votes; Bryan, 6,460.677. In the electoral college McKinley had 271 votes and Bryan 176.

Senator Hanna, who had managed the campaign, gave the following description of it in a speech before the Union Club at Cleveland:

"Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen of the Union Club-I have a great feeling of relief tonight. Such a feeling of relief and joy as I never had before, and I never was so happy as I am tonight. (Cries of "so are we," and applause.) My friends, this comes very near to being an anniversary. About two years ago—not quite that long -I began my work of devotion and love to our chief. Two years ago I took from him my inspiration. When he laid upon me that confidence which he left and said to me, 'My friend, I trust you with my future,' he also said, 'Mark, there are some things I will not do to be president of the United States (applause and cheers), and I leave my honor in your hands.' And from that day, nearly two years ago, began this campaign.

"It was rather quiet at first (laughter), what the boys are likely to call 'a still hunt,' but it is true that it had its birthday nearly two years ago today. I embarked upon that duty with a full heart for a man whom I loved because I had learned to respect and honor him. It was a mission of love inspired by that noble character which has no peer in the world. (Tremendous applause). I will not weary you with an account of details of the early stages of that campaign. I

called to aid men who had known the effect of Maj. McKinley's magnetism and who loved and admired him even as I did, and the territory in which I found them was not bounded by Ohio, but reached from the Atlantic to the Pacific. (Applause.) Scores and hundreds of men who loved him as I did rallied with McKinley as the word on their lips and their country their prayer. (Applause and cries of 'good, good.') The next epoch was that wonderful convention at St. Louis, where McKinley received 661 votes. I believe those figures are right. You all read of its marvelous scenes. When I took that charge of McKinley's honor I swore to my Maker that I would return it unsullied. (Applause and cheers). And when I returned from that memorable convention, proud and satisfied with the work his friends had done, I went to Canton and laid my report at the feet of my chieftain, and I said to him, 'McKinley, I have not forgotten the trust and I bring it back without a blot and not a single promise to redeem.' I think I have a right to feel proud of that (cheers and applause) because in the succession of the administration from Lincoln's time to the present era no man ever enjoyed that privilege before. (Tremendous applause.)

"Then began the battle royal. The Chicago convention flung forth an edict which shackled the nation and almost prostrated the country. Following that came that grand wave of inspiration from McKinley. His name and all he stood for was the battle cry from that time on. Never before was such a battle waged. It was against an unknown, unseen enemy, which faced us under cover on every side, but before us was McKinley's name, and every eye was fixed on it, and every heart was bound to it as to a guiding star. (Tremendous applause.)

"There were dark days. There were days when even the best men in the country lost faith in its government. And why? Because, as I said, the enemy was an unseen one, and the blows it was striking were blows at the very foundations of this government. And they did not know the inner workings of our part of the campaign. When I left New York to come to Cleveland to vote for my friend William McKinley (applause and cheers), I looked out of the car window in the early dawn and I saw the sun rise, and that sentiment of Garfield's (applause and cheers) came to me, 'God reigns' (tremendous cheering), and on the following day I was reminded of that sentiment of friend Handy here, that a rainbow spanned the continent. I cast my vote, and then I hied me again to Canton and I said to its foremost citizen: 'Governor, that honor and that escutcheon which you confided to me are still untarnished. You haven't a promise to redeem.' (Cheers for several moments.)

"And now I rejoice with you all that the great campaign has ended in glory and in peace. I can't explain to you what impelled me to enter on this labor, leaving all my other interests here at home, except to say that it was my love for this great man. I had been with him in the conventions of '84, '88 and '92, and I knew of their trials and their temptations, and it was then that I learned to know the heart and character of William McKinley. (Applause.) (Applause.) It was then that he brushed aside all except the future and said: 'I will not stultify my character for any reward on earth!"