liam McKinley Duncan, a nephew of the late President.

William McKinley was not a prolific letter-writer, nor did he ever, so far as I know, even attempt to keep a diary. His letters, as a rule, were either businesslike communications, straight to the point, or, if purely personal, were written in simple, unassuming style, friendly in tone, and with occasional pleasantries. They were not ornamented with literary embellishments, although, in his speeches, carefully chosen phrases and epigrammatic sentences were a distinguishing characteristic. Indeed, his unusual facility of expression and clear, forceful style, are seen to best advantage in the public addresses, and through them it would be possible to trace, quite accurately, the development of his political ideas. I have not hesitated to use extracts from them for this purpose whenever it seemed desirable. The letters, on the contrary, are inadequate to give proper expression to the real charm of McKinley's personal character. Too often the correspondence on some promising subject came suddenly to an end - disappointingly to the biographer with a cordial "Won't you come and see me?" I have found a few letters that seemed to reveal the true depth of his nature; but as a rule McKinley did not commit to paper his plans and purposes, nor his inmost thoughts

and aspirations. He much preferred a meeting, face to face, and a confidential talk.

If it has not been possible, for this reason, to tell the whole story of McKinley's life in his own words, as I should have liked to do, there has been some compensation in the fact that much of what he said in these private conversations has been remembered, and sometimes recorded, by those who heard it. I have therefore allowed these favored friends to speak for him, wherever I could, at the same time drawing freely upon his speeches and letters so far as they have seemed available.

McKinley's life, from his election to Congress in 1876, until the close of his career, was so interwoven with the vast political and economic changes which marked the last quarter of the nineteenth century, that any complete account of it must be historical as well as biographical. I have thought best, therefore, to endeavor to draw the backgrounds somewhat full and deep, in order that the real achievements of William McKinley may be seen in their true relation to the great movements of his time.

January 22, 1916.

CHARLES S. OLCOTT.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece

From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio. This portrait
was considered by Mrs. McKinley to be the best likeness of her
husband.

THE BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM MCKINLEY, NILES, OHIO
From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio.

8

WILLIAM MCKINLEY, SR., THE FATHER OF PRESIDENT MC

KINLEY

16

From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio.

NANCY ALLISON MCKINLEY, THE MOTHER OF THE PRESIDENT 16 From a photograph by Courtney, Canton, Ohio.

THE OLD SPARROW TAVERN, POLAND, OHIO

24

The speech of Lawyer Glidden calling for volunteers for the
Civil War was made from the porch of this house. From a pho-
tograph by the author.

THE OLD POST OFFICE, POLAND, OHIO

24

Here McKinley was working as a clerk at the outbreak of the
war. From a photograph by the author.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY AS A YOUNG LAWYER IN CANTON, OHIO 60 From a photograph.

IDA SAXTON MCKINLEY ABOUT THE TIME OF HER MARRIAGE 60

From a photograph.