PERIODIC PRESIDENTS on BOBBLEHEAD GEORGE
William McKinley - with Periodic Presidents
With the economic Panic of 1893 fresh in everyone’s mind, the Democrats started this race a step behind. William McKinley, the Civil War officer and Governor of Ohio, faced William Jennings Bryan, the great orator.
The parties differed in their views on protective tariffs (the Republicans strongly supported them). The Republicans also supported a gold standard with the possibility of using silver as well. The Democrats supported bimetallism. The Republican party invested roughly $4 million in the campaign, and it paid off. McKinley won a vast majority of the electoral votes.
William McKinley had a head start in the election of 1900 as well. He was the victorious leader in the Spanish-American War, and the country was doing well economically. In this rematch election, McKinley again won the vast majority of electoral votes over William Jennings Bryan.
His second term, however, came to a tragic end in September 1901. He was standing in a receiving line at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition when a deranged anarchist shot him twice. He died eight days later. During his time in office, McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War and raised protective tariffs to promote American industry.
