Opinion of William McKinley

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Our 25th President, serving from March 1st, 1897 to September 14th, 1901. He bested William Jennings Bryan twice in the elections of 1896 and 1900. In those elections, McKinley cobbled together an urban coalition of workers and business. as well as winning Mid-Western farmers who weren't as receptive to Bryan's rhetoric as their Western colleagues. During his Presidency, America became an imperial power of sorts, winning the Spanish-American War and giving America control over Cuba, Guam, the Phillipines, Hawaii, and others. As well, the economy experienced its recovery from the Panic of 1893 and the Gold Standard was put in place.

Opinions?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Typical Gilded Age politician who stirred up war with Spain to make America an empire. The quote you have of me sums it up quite nicely.

You think McKinley wanted that war? Ha! TR was one of the earliest guys to call for war! He was preparing for it since day one in the Navy Department! As for Gilded Age, who was the guy supporting arch-conservative Thomas Brackett Reed for the nomination in 1896? Theodore Roosevelt. As for Robert La Follette and other like-minded Progressives? They supported the people's candidate, Mr. William McKinley who had gone without fee to defend miners in court, who supported tariffs not for business' sake, but for labor's, and who found himself a supporter of the Grange movement. I should be the one defending TR and you the one defending McKinley.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Overall, FF. For two reasons: 1) Keeping Bryan away from the WH 2) Putting TR in.

Y'know, he himself was also President.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Typical Gilded Age politician who stirred up war with Spain to make America an empire. The quote you have of me sums it up quite nicely.

You think McKinley wanted that war? Ha! TR was one of the earliest guys to call for war! He was preparing for it since day one in the Navy Department! As for Gilded Age, who was the guy supporting arch-conservative Thomas Brackett Reed for the nomination in 1896? Theodore Roosevelt. As for Robert La Follette and other like-minded Progressives? They supported the people's candidate, Mr. William McKinley who had gone without fee to defend miners in court, who supported tariffs not for business' sake, but for labor's, and who found himself a supporter of the Grange movement. I should be the one defending TR and you the one defending McKinley.

Oh, I know Teddy wanted war, but he bought into the lie that Spain bombed the Maine. I like him, but not for his foreign policy. My line about McKinley "stirring up" war was hyperbolic.

My ideal president for the time period would have been Bryan, of course.

...who big labor never quite reconciled with.

In reality, TR talked quite the good fight, but he was a late comer to that whole "progressive" thingy and had been much more of a non-partisan reformist as opposed to a straight up champion of labor and whatnot until around say the 1890's. McKinley spent his entire political career as a champion of labor and protecting American industry. La Follette had a quote 'bout Bill, going something like "In general he supported the common interests against the corporation" or something like that and the two were good friends from their days in the House. TR never had the toleration for the much quieter methods of McKinley.