And State Papers 235 



ble competitor of the chief upon whom the choice 

 of the convention then actually fell. In 1896, he 

 was chosen because the great mass of his -party 

 knew him and believed in him and regarded him as 

 symbolizing their ideals, as representing their as 

 pirations. In estimating the forces which brought 

 about this nomination and election I do not under 

 value that devoted personal friendship which he had 

 the faculty to inspire in so marked a degree among 

 the ablest and most influential leaders; this leader 

 ship was of immense consequence in bringing about 

 the result; but, after all, the prime factor was the 

 trust in and devotion to him felt by the great mass 

 of men who had come to accept him as their recog 

 nized spokesman. In his nomination the national 

 convention of a great party carried into effect in 

 good faith the deliberate judgment of that party as 

 to whom its candidate should be. 



But even as a candidate President McKinley was 

 far more than the candidate of a party, and as Pres 

 ident he was in the broadest and fullest sense the 

 President of all the people of all sections of the 

 country. 



His first nomination came to him because of the 

 qualities he had shown in healthy and open politi 

 cal leadership, the leadership which by word and 

 deed impresses itself as a virile force for good upon 

 the people at large and which has nothing in com 

 mon with mere intrigue or manipulation. But, in 

 1896, the issue was fairly joined, chiefly upon a 

 question which as a party question was entirely new, 



