OF THE

ELEVENTH

Republican National Convention

HELD IN THE CITY OF

ST. LOUIS, MO., June 16, 17 and 18,

GARRETT A. HOBART, of New Jersey, for Vice-President.

Reported by JAMES FRANCIS BURKE of Pittsburg, Pa.,

Official Stenographer.

1896.

THE PROCEEDINGS.

1.

"Resolved, That the Secretary of this Convention ereby directed to prepare and publish a full and complete report of the official proceedings of this Convention, under the direction of the National Committee, co-operating with the local committee.”

CHARLES W. JOHNSON,

COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES W. JOHNSON. 1896.

SPRECKELS

Secretary.

"The Republican Party stands for honest money and the chance to earn it by honest toil."

WILLIAM MCKINLEY.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY, JR. was born at Niles, Trumbull County, Ohio, on January 29, 1843. His father was an iron manufacturer, and is still living, his age being 85; his mother is also living, her age being 83. Young McKinley was educated at the public schools and at the Poland (Mahoning County) Academy. In June, 1861, he enlisted in the 23rd O. V. I. as a private. On September 24, 1862, he was promoted to 2nd lieutenant; on February 7, 1862, 1st lieutenant; on July 25th, 1864, to captain, and was breveted Major by President Lincoln for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Opequan, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. He served on the staff of Ex-President Hayes and Maj. Gen'l Geo. Crook, and after Crook's capture he served for a time on the staff of Maj. Gen'l Hancock, and subse quently on the staff of Gen'l S. S. Carroll. He was with the 23rd in all its battles, and was mustered out with it on July 26, 1865. At the close of the war he returned to Ohio. He had a liking for the military profession, and it was said that but for the advice of his father he would at the solicitation of Gen'l Carroll have attached himself to the regular army. He studied law with the Hon. Charles E. Glidden and David Wilson of Mahoning County, and then attended the law school at Albany, N. Y. In 1867 he was admitted to the bar, and in May of the same year he located in Canton, Stark County, where he soon formed a partnership with Judge Belden. He was elected prosecuting attorney of Stark County in 1869. On January 25, 1871, he was married to Miss Ida Saxton, daughter of James A. Saxton, a prominent citizen of Canton. He was elected to Congress in 1876, and was continuously in Congress until March, 1891, except part of his fourth term, he being unseated by a Democratic House late in the first session, his seat being given to Mr. Wallace, his competitor. McKinley has been three times "gerrymandered." In 1878 he was placed in a district consisting of the counties of Stark, Wayne, Ashland and Portage, which was Democratic by 1,800; but McKinley carried it by 1,300. In 1884 he was placed in a district consisting of Stark, Summit, Medina and Wayne, and was elected by over 2,000. Under the infamous Price "gerrymander" of 1890, his district was made up of Stark, Wayne, Medina and Holmes, which had given Governor Campbell, the year before 2,900 majority, but on the fullest vote ever polled in the district, Mr. McKinley reduced this majority to 303. Mr. McKinley received 2,500 more votes in the district than had been re ceived by Harrison for President in 1888 in the same district. While in Congress, Mr. Mc Kinley served on the committee of the Revision of Laws, the Judiciary Com mittee, the Committee of Expenditures, of the Post Office Department, and the Committee on Rules; and when Gen'l Garfield was nominated for the Presidency, Mr. McKinley was assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means in his place, and he continued to serve on the last-named committee until the end of his congressional career, being Chairman of that committee during the last Congress, and was the author of the famous tariff law which bears his name.

For a number of years Mr. McKinley has been the recognized champion of the cardinal Republican principle of Protection. He was delegate-at-large to the National Convention of '84, and supported Mr. Blaine for the Presidency. He was also delegate-at-large to the National Convention of '88, when he supported Mr. Sherman. At the latter convention his name was sprung for the Presidential nomination, but in a speech which was characteristic of the man he forbade the use of his name for the reason that he had pledged his loyalty to Sherman. He was Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions at both conventions.

On June 7, 1891, Maj. McKinley was unanimously nominated by the Ohio Republicans for Governor; and after one of the most hotly contested campaigns in the history of the State, he was elected by a plurality of 21,511.

In 1893 he was re-elected Governor of Ohio by a plurality of 80,955.

At the Ohio State Convention, 1892, Governor McKinley was elected one of the delegates-at-large to the Republican National Convention at Minneapolis; he was made Chairman of the Ohio Delegation, and Permanent Chairman of the Convention.