CHAPTER XIV 



McKINLEY AND EOOSEVELT 1891-1904 



DURING the summer of 1891 came a curious episode in 

 my life, to which, as it was considerably discussed in 

 the newspapers at the time, and as various sensational 

 news-makers have dwelt upon it since, I may be permitted 

 to refer. During several years before, in fact, ever since 

 my two terms in the State Senate, various people, and 

 especially my old Cornell students throughout the State, 

 had written to me and published articles in my behalf 

 as a candidate for governor. I had never encour- 

 aged these, and whenever I referred to them deprecated 

 them, since I preferred a very different line of life, 

 and felt that the grapple with spoilsmen which every 

 governor must make would wear me out very rapidly. 

 But the election which was that year approaching was felt 

 to be very important, and old friends from various 

 parts of the State thought that, in the severe contest 

 which was expected, I stood a better chance of election 

 than any other who could be named at that particular 

 time, their theory being that the German vote of the State 

 would come to me, and that it would probably come to no 

 other Republican. 



The reason for this theory was that I had received part 

 of my education in Germany ; had shown especial interest 

 in German history and literature, lecturing upon them at 

 the University of Michigan and at Cornell ; had resided in 

 Berlin as minister; had, on my return, delivered in New 

 York and elsewhere an address on the "New Germany," 



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