Pinback button promoting William McKinley for president and Garret Hobart for vice president, 1896. The Whitehead and Hoag Co., Newark, New Jersey.
When William McKinley was nominated for president in 1896 on a platform of hard money and high tariffs, Garret Hobart of New Jersey was the natural choice for the second spot on the ticket. A stalwart conservative from a densely populated state, he was an outspoken champion of the Gold Standard. His one important act as vice president was to cast the tie-breaking vote in 1899 against an amendment to the treaty with Spain that would have promised future independence for the Philippine Islands. He died in office shortly thereafter.
This vintage celluloid pinback, one of the earliest made for a political campaign, features portraits of McKinley and Hobart beneath their names.
