 The Midwest was the crucial battleground , and both parties poured in their resources , with Bryan spending most of his time there , as did Hanna . McKinley and Hanna began to sense that the flood of materials and speakers on the silver question had had their effect in the Midwest . Dawes began to slow the flow of pamphlets against silver , and set loose a flood of material favoring McKinley 's tariff policies . Events favored the Republicans : wheat prices rose considerably in the final weeks of the campaign , lessening the enthusiasm of farmers for free silver . The Democrats alleged that Republicans were coercing workers into voting for McKinley on threat of losing their jobs ; Hanna denied it , and offered a reward for evidence , that was not claimed . To Bryan 's outrage , Hanna called for a " Flag Day " for the final Saturday , October 31 , as the campaign again sought to link support for McKinley to patriotism , a theme echoed by the candidate as he addressed his final delegations . Hundreds of thousands marched through the streets of the nation 's cities in honor of the flag ; New York City saw its largest parade since 1865 . Election day was November 3 ; on its eve Hanna and Dawes predicted overwhelming victory . 
