The herald., 1896-11-04
HANNA'S ACHIEVEMENT


The campaign just closed has embod-
led the most momentous trial to which
popular government has ever been SUBJ
jected. How far yesterdays vote may
be accepted as the legitimate verdict of
popular government it is impossible as
yet to determine.
That there have been forces of stu
pendous and unprecedented pressure at
work to undermine and annihilate the
honest reason and true convictions of
the people no unprejudiced observer will
dare to deny.
Those who have been most respon-
sible for the alleged alignment of class
against class have been most vehement
in the depreciation of such condition.
1t has been the insolent insistence of
superior knowledge and the arrogant pa
rade of great wealth, prominent in the
ranks of Mr.. McKinley's supporters. that
have irritated the people and revealed to
them the fact that there is in this repub-
lie powerful and dangerous plutocracy
whose interests have nothing in common
with the needs and desires of the COM
mon people.
The vote of the millionaire is ipso facto
of no more value or of greater result
ant power than the ballot of the poorest
citizen. But the dangerous evil which
unhappily is in the power of the wealthy
manufacturer or merchant had undouht
edly in many instances done it's insidious
damage before the polls were opened. All
the wealth and all the power of wealth in
this country was arrayed against
Mr.. Bryan the moment the true issue
of the campaign had been made clear.
Millions of dollars have been spent with
the hope that many millions more might
be reaped from the continuance of an un
just and unwholesome system. No more
dangerous figure has ever arisen in the
history of the American nation
than that Of Mark Hanna. The
lines of his lust for power had long been
laid. What other object than ultimate
self ACKNOWLEDGMENT and possession OF
power could have induced this merclless
grinder of the poor to so charitably
come to the assistance of a politician,
of the citizens of the world as the au-
thor of an iniquitous bill, had proved no.
toriously incompetent as governor of
Ohio and utterly devoid of executive
ability, and had also been so barren of
business sense and worldly wisdom as
to indorse paper to the amount of $118,
900 when he was only worth about one
tenth of that amount?
The moment that Hanna & Co. took
over Mr. McKinley's private obligations
the plot of his public ambition was be-
gotten. Since that time his candidacy
has been nourished on the milk of
wolves, but wolves of a different breed
from those who were responsible for the
foundation of Rome.
1t was necessary to entirely transform
the nature of their founding. He had
oeen fairly consistent, and on occa-
sion strenuous, advocate of the remone-
tization of silver Such opinions, how
ever, were so entirely contrary to the
mind and measures of his masters and
nurses, that they were in due season
buried in silence, and fresh sentiments
of an entirely opposite nature eventually
inculcated.
Until the ST. Louis convention Hanna
had not declared himself, and Mr.. Nc
Kinley, of course, had not been permit
ted to open his mouth. Hanna controlled
the st. Louis convention and he also
controlled Mckinley.
Hannas edict for the continuance of
the single gold standard was adopted
by the convention and forced down the
throat of Mckinley
With unparalleled insolence and the
basest effrontery Mr.. Hanna COM
menced campaign of corruption. He
soon declared his hand and openly an
nounced that "if he couldn't win one
way, he would another" A campaign
fund of colossal proportions was in
stituted. A liberal assessment was levied
| upon the fortunes of the millionaires
and merchant princes of the country
| This fund, amounting to five hundred
| million dollars was, of course, beyond
| the scope of any legitimate expense
| For the past three months throughout
the country the Republican managers
have spent money with a lavish and
lascivious hand. A trinity of corruption
| coercion and intimidation, was com
| prised in the unity of Hanna. But those
who could condescend to such base
methods were not merely content with
these weapons. Abuse of the most viru-
lent, unfounded and vicious charactcr
was substituted for argument No term
was vile enough, no epithet too slander.
Gus to apply to MIR. Bryan and his fol.
lowers. The man who was bold enough
to head the crusade for the salvation OF
his country was promptly labeled ar
anarchist and the leader of anarchists
Dishonesty. reputation and lawlessnes,
were the common terms hurled at thu
heads Of the true Democratic party. II
their desert of argument and wilderness,
of reason. they sought to cultivate cact
and fungi of lies concerning the people.
candidate. Lie after lie was conceived
lie after lie resulted in abortion.
Let Hanna and his fellows glory II
nuch \ Campaf4n let the uattou hfda ~