This sentence refers to William McKinley's political views that he would use during his presidency.
One event that supports the statement above is his desire to keep the United States on the gold standard. During this era (late 1800-early 1900's) many American citizens called for the policy of free silver, which would change what the American dollar is supported by. However, McKinley thought this change would have a negative impact on American society. When he becomes president, he does not change from the gold standard. This shows that he did not make any radical changes to the economy.
