The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-06-24
THE VISITOR FROM MARS
The Impressions He Would Form About the
ST. Louis Convention

St. Louis Convention
If an intelligent stranger from the
planet of Mars should visit st. Louis
now for the purpose of investigating the
American method of selecting presi-
dent. he would encounter one fact likely
to battle his powers of comprehension.
On every side he would find evidence
that a mastery intellect has been shap-
ing events during the past six months.
Nothing has been left to be deterinin ed
by chance or by frantic exertion at the
last moment. Everything has been fore
seen and provided for. The most artis-
tic performance of the century in the
way of political organization has moved
on smoothly and serenely toward the
prearranged denouement. The visitor
would be filed with admiration for the
genius which has grasped and controll-
ed the almost infinite compleXity of de-
tails involved in political undertaking
of such magnitude. He would be amaz-
ed at the patience, the persistence, the
energy, the knowledge Of human char
acter, the courage and self-rcliance, the
creative imagination, the executive ca
pacity that have been brought to bear
upon the convention in advance of its
assembling. He would be all the more
astonished when he learned that the
great game had been played and won by
single mind, not against one other
mind. but against the combined skill of
the most adrot and experienced politi-
| clans of the country. When the visitor
beheld the convention of nearly a thous-
and delegates, of all sorts and from II
| around, tremendously registering the
will of this one individual, proceeding in
| all respects according to the plans form
ed weeks beforehand by this one mans
brains and making history of the larg-
est kind on specifications furnished
solely by himself, would not the first
question be this?
What is the name of this truly Ma
poleonic genius? He has indeed dem
onstrated his fitness for the chief office
of your government. He has well earn
ed the prize"
The answer would be:
His name is Mark Hanna. But it is
not Mark that we are going to nominate
for president. II Is William Mckinley
of Canton. o., a neighbor and protege of
Hanna's.'
Then the traveller from Mars would
very probably rejoin:
THAT strikes me as curious. Who is
this William Mckinley, anyway? Is he
an ADLER man than Hanna? Perhaps
Hanna is deeply in his debt? What has
he done for Mark Hanna or for the coun-
try that this prize, which in the eternal
fitness of things, belongs to Mark Han
ma, should be assigned to him.
1t would require only a short time to
men, but of principles. Hanna, it was
true had shown himself to be person.
age of remarkable political ability per-
haps of greater ability than Mckinley
could be said to possess; but Mckinley
stood for certain principles cherished by
the Republican party; and it was as
the representative of those principles
that Mckinley was to be nominated by
the convention.
You interest me greatly" the visitor
would say. These principles which
William Mckinley represents and which
Mark Hanna does not represent, what
are they? l have heard much discus
sion in the streets and in the hotel lob
bies concerning the money question, for
| example. Tell me what principles Will
liam Mckinley represents in regard to
| that question"
"They will be defined in the platform
| of the convention"
who makes the platform?
1.-THE committee on resolutions in the
| first place: it is afterward adopted by
the vote of the dele ates."
And who makes up the committee on
resolutions?"
Mr.. Hanna does The platform will
undoubtedly be shaped according to his
ideas of what is right and expedent."
| At this point look of perplexity, not
| unmingled with disgust, overspreads
the fine features of the celestial voy-
ager Everything Mark Hanna?" he
exclaims. Everything seems to come
back to Hanna. Even the principles
which this William Mckinley is to rep
resent are to be supplied by that extra.
ordinary Hanna. He is the organizer
the controller, the master He furnishes
| the delegates, the money, the brains
and now you tell me he also furnishes
the principles l am not very familiar
with your mode Of selecting candidates
| or with the laws governing the evoll-
ton of your statesmen, but common
sense is not confined to the planet
wherein I stand. What, in the name oil
Dog Star and all the lesser luminaries NJ
| heaven, has William Mckinley to dc
with the situation? Why, in the name
of Pleiades and the Belt of Orion should
not this convention nominate Mari
| Hanna hmself?'
And in all st. Louis there is not one
| person who can satisfactorily answer
that simple question.-New York Sun