of 1896. The
financial issue, which was prominent before the people at that time, was
one of the contributory causes of that result. Still it cannot be denied
that McKinley's connection with the Tariff Bill of 1890 was what gave
him the necessary national prominence to make him the most available man
to be placed at the head of his party ticket for the Presidency that
year.

CHAPTER XXVIII

INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND SECRETARY
GRESHAM

When Mr. Cleveland was inaugurated in 1893, I was Auditor of the
Treasury for the Navy Department. Hon. J.G. Carlisle, of Kentucky, had
been made Secretary of the Treasury. My resignation had been tendered,
the acceptance of which I expected to see announced any day, but the
change did not take place until August of that year.

While seated at my desk one day a messenger from the White House made
his appearance, and I was informed that the President desired to see me
in person. When I arrived at the White House I was immediately ushered
into the President's private office, where he was seated alone at a desk
engaged in reading a book or a magazine. It was at an hour when he was
not usually accessible to the public. He received me in a very cordial
way. He informed me that there was an important matter about which he
desired to talk with me--to get the benefit of my opinion and
experience. He assured me of his friendly interest in the colored
people. It was his determination that they should have suitable and
appropriate recognition under his administration. He said he was very
much opposed to the color line in politics. There was no more reason why
a man should be opposed or discriminated against on account of his race
than on account of his religion. He believed it to be the duty of the
Democratic party to encourage the colored voters to divide their votes,
and the best way to do this was to accord to that race the same relative
consideration, the same treatment, and to give the race the same
recognition that is given other races and classes of which our
citizenship is composed. The party line is the only one that should be
drawn. He would not appoint a colored Republican to office merely for
the purpose of giving official recognition to the colored race, nor
would he refuse to appoint a colored Democrat simply because he was
colored. If this course were pursued, and this policy adopted and
adhered to by the Democratic party, the colored voters