Figure ii. — A "front porch" campaign conducted at his liome in Canton, Oliio, was 

 Republican nominee \Villiam McKinle>"s response to Bryan's vigorous campaign tour in 

 i8g6. Republican managers arranged for thousands of voters to travel to Canton to hear 

 the candidate deliver thoughtful and well-prepared addresses on the issues of the day. 

 In this scene, McKinley presents his speech accepting the presidential nomination. 

 Immediately behind the candidate, with his hand resting on a cane, is Mark Hanna, 

 McKinley's campaign manager. (In the collection of Mrs. Grace Dick Williams of Akron, 

 Ohio.) 



Bryan had broken most of the established precedents 

 of presidential campaigning. 



The efforts made by Republican leaders in 1896 to 

 meet Bryan's threat were nearly as remarkable as the 

 Nebraskan's campaign. To combat "Bryanism," 

 Mark Hanna, the campaign manager for William 

 McKinley, set out to raise the largest war chest used 

 to that time in a presidential contest. By levying 

 tribute upon corporations and wealthy individuals, 

 Hanna succeeded in acquiring a sum large enough to 

 hire some 1,400 stump speakers, and publish millions of 

 antisilver docuinents to counteract the eflfect of 

 Bryan's remarkable national tour. McKinley, who 



still adhered to the tradition of presidential dignity, 

 would not take the stump himself, but he did agree to 

 speak to delegations of supporters who traveled to his 

 home at Canton, Ohio. Hanna organized this front- 

 porch campaign in an unprecedented manner, making 

 arrangements for hundreds of groups representing 

 diverse interests to make the trip to Canton. Any 

 group wishing to hear McKinley had to be in touch 

 with the candidate beforehand, giving details about its 

 membership and sending a copy of the greeting to be 

 presented by its leader, in order that the candidate 

 might prepare remarks appropriate to the occasion. 

 The railroads alone brought 507,000 persons, most of 



PAPER 46: BRYAN THE CAMP.MGNER 



75 



