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William McKinley Letter to Ida McKinley

Om907_948900_002

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Title	William McKinley Letter to Ida McKinley
Subject	Presidents and Politics First ladies McKinley, Ida Saxton, 1847-1907 McKinley, William, 1843-1901
Place	Washington (District of Columbia) Canton (Ohio) Stark County (Ohio)
Description	This letter, written by William McKinley (1843-1901) to his wife Ida Saxton McKinley (1847-1907), is on U.S. House of Representatives letterhead. It measures 5.3 by 8.5 inches (13.46 by 21.59 cm). In the letter, William informs Ida that he will not be home that night. Demonstrating the affection the future president felt for his invalid wife, he urged her to "Receive my evening benediction of love" and closed the letter with "may the good angels guard you." McKinley, the twenty-fifth president of the United States and sixth from Ohio, was born in Niles, Ohio in 1843. After serving in the Civil War, he studied law and opened a law office in Canton, Ohio. McKinley served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1876-1890, was elected to two terms as Ohio governor in 1892 and 1894, and became president in 1897, largely due to the influence of Marcus Hanna, boss of the Cleveland political machine. McKinley was most noted for his foreign policy and the conduct of the Spanish-American War in 1898. It was during McKinley's administration that the U.S. acquired its first overseas possessions in the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. He was re-elected in 1900, but was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in 1901. His running mate, Theodore Roosevelt, then became president. Ohio adopted as its state flower McKinley's favorite red carnation in his memory. Ida Saxton was the daughter of a prosperous Canton banker. She met Major William McKinley while working as a cashier at her father's bank. They married in 1871. Two daughters were born to the couple, neither survived childhood. For most of her adult life, Ida was in poor health, suffering from phlebitis (a neurological condition that weakened her right side and made it difficult to walk), epilepsy, and other problems. Her ailments, however, were not discussed in public, and she performed her duties as political wife and hostess as well as she was able. After her husband was assassinated in 1901, Ida returned to Canton, where she died in 1907.
Creator	McKinley, William, 1843-1901
Date of Original	April 10, 1886
Collection	Ida Saxton McKinley Collection
Source	Unpublished material (archives/manuscripts)
Submitting Institution	McKinley Museum and National Memorial
Type	Text
Format	manuscripts

Title	Om907_948900_002
Rights	For rights and reproduction requests, go to the Ohio Historical Society's Audiovisual and Graphic Reproduction Services page at http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/audiovis/photodup.html; Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information
File Name	Om907_948900_002.tif
Image Height	2599
Image Width	1598
File Size	1109.541 KB
Full Text	House of Representatives U.S. Washington, D.C. April 10, 1886 My darling wife; It looks now as though I would not get home tonight, the opposition seem determined to sit it out and nothing remains for us but to stay with them, which we will do [underlined which... do] unless later on we can take a recess. I congratulate myself that I am feeling splendidly and am fully able for the night. I hope you will get a good night sleep. Receive my evening benediction of love. If I don't see you tonight, will be with you sometime on the morning. Goodnight and may the good angels guard you. Lovingly, Wm McKinley Jr.

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