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Editor's note: This is part of a weekly series marking the 120th anniversary of Niles native William McKinley's U.S. presidency.
In addition to William Jennings Bryan and the Democrats, President William McKinley faced competition from John G. Woolley and the Prohibitionists in the 1900 presidential election. Woolley's running mate was Henry B. Metcalfe. Their campaign was centered on the issue of prohibition; in other words, they wanted to make it illegal to manufacture, ship or sell alcohol in the U.S.
While prominent Republicans and Democrats toured the country giving speeches about the war in the Philippines, the power of trusts and the corruption or folly of the opposing party, Prohibitionists also campaigned. The Washington Post reported that Woolley spoke to crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 at Pittsburgh, New Castle and East Liverpool as he worked his way east. According to the New York Times, Woolley gave another speech at Buffalo, New York, on Oct. 13, 1900. The Times did not report on the content of the speech.
Though their platform also included issues such as women's suffrage, Prohibitionists like Woolley seemed to believe that alcohol lay at the heart of many of the country's problems. According to the New York Times, Prohibitionists blamed alcohol consumption for the diseases that killed more than 5,000 soldiers during the Spanish-American War. Therefore, they called for the removal of canteens (bars located on military bases).
They also felt that alcohol sales diverted consumer money away from other goods, leading to the formation of trusts. Prohibitionists argued that outlawing the sale of alcohol would stimulate the economy, eliminate the need for trusts and create more jobs.
The Prohibition Movement was not new in 1900. By the time McKinley was running for re-election, Prohibitionists had achieved many political victories at the local and state level. In the 1850s, for example, 12 states passed laws making it illegal to manufacture or sell alcohol. These laws were far from popular, and in many states judges and lawmakers later repealed the laws or made them difficult to enforce.
Prohibitionists hoped the Republican Party would make prohibition a key part of their platform, but Republicans chose not to adopt the controversial issue. As a result, the Prohibition Party was formed in 1869. Its first presidential candidate was nominated to run against Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. However, the party has not produced a successful candidate. Its most popular nominees have not won more than 2.2 percent of the popular vote.
The Prohibition Party is the oldest minor political party in the U.S. that still exists today. Its 2020 presidential nominee Phil Collins (not the recording artist) will run as a write-in candidate in several states.
Audra Dull is a librarian at McKinley Memorial Library and the coordinator for the McKinley Birthplace Home.