Figure 1.--The assasination of President McKinley shocked the nation. This is a portrait that one greiving family had taken. |
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President Mc Kinley's second term began auspiciously, but came to a tragic end only months later at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. The President delivered a speech (September 5). He announced that he was reconsidering his views on tariff policy. His major domestic achievement had been enacting a high, protective tariff. Now he was consudering the negotistion of recipricol tariff agreements with other countries. In the crowd was Leon Czolgosz, a Detroit-born anarchist of Polish immigrant parents. Anarchists at the time were attacking European leaders with varying success. Czolgosz was not only an archist, but he was mentally deranged. He had been stalking the President. Secret Service agents pevented him from getting near the stage where McKinley delivered his speech. The following day, the president appeared at a public reception in the Temple of Music on the Exposition grounds. A crowd had assembled to meet the president, an opportunity to shake hands and exchange a few words. This was Czolgosz's opportunity. He stood close to the front of the line. He wrapped his right hand in a handkerchief to make it look like he had been injured. In fact he was using it to conceal a .32 caliber revolver. When the President approched, Czolgosz extended his left hand and rapidly fired two shots at point-blank range. McKinely died 8 days later--to the horror of Republican leaders who thought they had effectively side lined Govenoor Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt thus became president. With the passing of McKinley the United States also passed from one era to another--from an era of internal growth and expansion to one of growing participation in world affairs.
The 1900 election was a rematch between McKinley and Bryan. While Bryan inveighed against imperialism, McKinley quietly stood for "the full dinner pail." The election was important because New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt received the vice presidential election. This was done in large measure because Republican Party stalwart Mark Hannah and New York Senator Conklin wanted him out of New York. The election was also notable because Bryan had begun his campaign within weeks of losing the 1896 election. Bryan and his wife and political confident Nary published an inpassioned account of their losing campaign. The title, The First Battle left no doubt how Bryan viewed politics and his plans for 1900. Their book proved to be a run-away best seller. Thousand of people wrote to Bryan. Mary and his brother made a list of the correspondants to build an index card (the principal data organizing system before computers) list of supporters througout the country. Bryan began approaching important figures in the state Democratic organization in 1897.
President Mc Kinley's second term began auspiciously, but came to a tragic end only months later at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. The President delivered a speech (September 5). He announced that he was reconsidering his views on tariff policy. His major domestic achievement had been enacting a high, protective tariff. Now he was consudering the negotistion of reciprocol tariff agreements with other countries.
In the crowd was Leon Czolgosz, a Detroit-born anarchist of Polish immigrant parents. He was a 28-year old blacksmith. Anarchists at the time were attacking European leaders with varying success. He was influenced by noted Anarchist Emma Goldman. Czolgosz was not only an archist, but he was mentally deranged. He had been stalking the President. He had traveled to Buffalo from his home in Cleveland with the expressed purpose of shooting the presudent (September 3). He carefully planned out how he would do it.
Two early figures in the American anarchist movement were William Greene and Benjamin Tucker. They founded journals like The Word and Liberty where they published the work of important European anarchists such as Peter Kropotkin, Michael Bakunin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and Leo Tolstoy. At this time anarchism still had an essentially pacifist ethos. In response to scts of terror, European monarchies became increasingly repressive, especially in Russia. This was just as large numbers of European immigrants began reaching America. Important anarchists in Europe, including Johann Most and Emma Goldman, joined the immigrant flow to the United States. Seeing the poor working conditions here and a government largely favoring moneyed interests, they both inisisted that as in Europe, violence was acceptable to overthrow capitalism. Neither saw that the democratic system was a tool for change or the importance of law. (Goldman was to see first hand when she returned to Lenin's Russia after the Revolution the horrors of violence in a society without laws.) Anarchists were blamed for the Haymarket Bombing in Chicago (1886). The Chicago authorities were never able to identify the actual person who threw the bomb. They did identify an anarchist cell (Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolph Fisher, Louis Lingg and George Engel) who helped organized the meeting. They were tried and sentenced to death for "conspiracy to murder".
Alexander Berkman, a Russian immigrant and anarchist attempted to murder industrialist William Frick (1892). Gaetano Bresci, am Italian immigrant, returned to Italy and assassinated King Umberto. Another anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, from a Polish immigrant family assassinated President William McKinley (1901). .
This resulted in the passage of the Immigrant Exclusion Act (1901). A group of anarchists founded the political journal with the imcendiary title Blast (January 1916). Alexander Berkman edited the journal and published articles by Emma Goldman, Mary Heaton Vorse, and Robert Minor. After World War and the Russian Revolution, the United States experienced the Red Scare (1919). Authorities deported a number of leading radicals, including anarchists (Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Mollie Steimer). Two Italian immigrants with anarchist sentiments (Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti) were tried and executed for murder. The case became an international cause ceklebre. Many believed that their conviction was based more on their anarchist beliefs than the evidence.
Secret Service agents pevented Czolgosz from getting near the stage where McKinley delivered his speech. The following day, the president appeared at a public reception in the Temple of Music on the Exposition grounds.
The next day Czolgosz returned to the Exposition and waited for the President. The President's plans had been
published making it easy for Czolgosz to position himself. He was one of the first to enter the Temple of Music. When a line began to assemble to shake hands with the President, Czolgosz took a place at the front of the line.
Quite a number of people were anxious to meet the popular president, an opportunity to shake hands and exchange a few words. This was Czolgosz's opportunity. He stood close to the front of the line. He wrapped his right hand in a handkerchief to make it look like he had been injured. In fact he was using it to conceal a .32 caliber revolver. When the President approched just after 4:00 pm and reached out his hand. Czolgosz ignored the President's hand and rapidly fired two shots at point-blank range.
The first bullet tore into the President's chest. The second struck him in his abdomen.
McKinley staggered backwards and fell, badly wounded. A pool of blood forming on his chest. The Secret service agents and police immediately seized Czolgosz and disarmed him. They then proceeded to savagely beat him, nearly killing him. McKinley was still conscious at this time and emplored that they stop beating Czolgosz stop. His primarily concern, however, was over his disabled wife. He asked that the news of the incident be carefully relayed to Ida so as not to undully upset her. It was not yet ckear that he had been mortally wounded.
McKinley was immediately transported to a local hospital. He underwent emergency surgery for his wounds. The doctors were at first optimistic that he could recover. Complications set, however, in after the operation.
He clung to life for several days, drifting in and out of consciousness. He came out of a coma after oxygen was administered (September 13). He asked for his wife in a weak voice. When Ida arrived, however, he had fallen back into the coma. He emerged from the coma again, about 8:00 pm. Ida held his hand. He wispered “Nearer my God to thee,” and fell back into unconsciouness. Several minutes passeduntil the President opened his eyes the last time. He seemed to look about at the medical staff. His eyes found Ida, and told her, "Goodbye all; goodbye. It is God’s way. His will be done.” After which he passed away (September 14).
Republican leaders were shocked about the assasination of the President thst they had just suceeded in electing. They were also horrified because thst had thought that they had effectively side lined Govenoor Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt thus became president. With the passing of McKinley the United States also passed from one era to another--from an era of internal growth and expansion to one of growing participation in world affairs.
Czolgosz survived the beating administered at the scene. A hasty trial was organized. He told the jury that he opposed the form of Government practiced in the United States. He thought that he had done the country a favor. He testified that he had no accomplices to assist him and that he acted completely alone. He was found guilty of murder. He was executed by electrocution in the state prison at Auburn (October 29). Just before the switch was throne, he yelled, "I killed the President because he was the enemy of the good people. I did it for the help of the good people, the working men of all countries.”
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