Presidential Biographies | McKinley Administrations - McKinley and Congress

McKinley and Congress

McKinley, like many of his predecessors, conceived of his role as president as an essentially conservative one, carrying out the decisions of Congress but rarely initiating his own policies. Because of the large Republican majorities in Congress, McKinley did not need to worry that the voice of Congress would be vastly different from his own.

McKinley's 15 years as a congressman served him well as president. He knew from experience how to exert the kind of gentle pressure to which Congress would respond. He often invited members of Congress to visit him at the White House. His secretary of war, Elihu Root, reported that McKinley "had vast influence with Congress. He led them by the power of affectionate esteem, not by fear. He never bullied Congress" (Morgan, p. 275). McKinley also was meticulous about helping those who helped him, rewarding his supporters with powerful and lucrative appointments. All of...