The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-31
SENATOR HANNA's CALLERS
Compelled to Rent Offices for Their
Reception.
Prom the New York Post.


From the New York Post.
Washington States Senator
Marcus A. Hanna has adopted the some
what uncommon plan-for a senator-of
renting suite of offices in one of the bus
mess blocks of the city. This he does to
avoid being inundated by callers of every
sort at the hotel where he sleeps and has
his meals. The hotel attendants are in
structed to send everybody who calls for
other than social purposes to the offices
in the Glover building. There he has three
connecting rooms. One is his own private
office, another is for his private secre-
tary, and the third and largest is used as
a general waiting-room.
The assemblage that gathers in this an
te-room on any fine morning is one of the
sights of the city. Three-fourths of the
visitors, for some unaccountable reason,
seem TO be of Ethiopian descent. This
clinical disparity may be explained by the
part Mr. Hanna played year ago in Sc
curing delegates throughout the south IA
Vorable 10 the nomination of Maj. McKin-
ley. He was the commander-in-chief of
the southern forces, and they have not
forgotten him. That is probably why his
outer room looks so much like a steam
boat office on the eve of a colored eXcur-
sion
1t is noticeable that Mr.. Hanna does not
provide the most sumptuous quarters for
these friends who come so far to see him,
especially in view of the fact that they
usually have to wait a. long time to get at
him. The room Is filled with hard chairs,
angular and straight-backe and no cleo
trio fans, comic weeklies, or free cigars
are provided to aliay the restlessneSs of
the faithful watchers. A colored messen-
ger is in attendance to take the cards of
the private secretary. These messengers
the visitors aim to ignore, and they in
turn very haughtily announce to the Afro
American caller that "de senator Is very
busy dis mawnin with important gemmer-
men; and It's very doubtful, sab, II you
can see him"-with marked emphasis on
the Important and the you"
About once an hour there is a general
clearing out of the waiting room. The
bell is rung for the messenger who opens
the door into the private secretarys office,
and with one wave of his hand sweeps the
waiting congregation into the presence of
the august senator. Mr.. Hanna disposes
of his guests in quick order. BY sim
gular miscalculation, there are 8ever seats
enough in the room to go around and it is
necessary for most of the visiting states
men to remain reverently standing. To
persons with a lively prospect of a walk
back to Alabama or Mississippi before
them, chairs would be very grateful on a
warm day. But these they do not get,
unless they happen to be at the head Of
the procession.
The rubber stamp has first to be explain
ed. During the campaign, it seems, thou
sands of letters were sent out from the
national committees headquarters, Of
somewhat formal character commencing
the good work which the addresses were
doing. To these missives a clerk affixed
with rubber stamp the now celebrated
- 10 RI G
six self-inklng purple pads were last sum-
mer exhausted in this way. But as soon
as the tall colored clergyman, who finds
prosperity still hating in his own locality,
reaches the senator's presence he says:
Mr.. Hanna. I've got a letter right here
very important letter, indeed, sah--that
i want 20 show you" With that he
plunges his hand into an inside walstcoat
pocket-for he never dares 70 run the risk
Of pickpockets by carrying so sacred a
document anywhere else. He pulls the
letter out, folded so carefully that some
times it is only kept together by pieces
of sticklng-plaster attached to it's back
This gives an aesthetic finish TO what
would otherwise appear like only an ord
mary piece Of commercial paper. Mr.
Hanna. in occasional periods Of extreme
polteness honors his visitors by reading
the letter. II usually runs about as fol-
lows.
Dear SIT our ldNof OF n recent Ndte mas
been received by the national committee
I am very glad 90 hear OF the good work
that you are doing for the republican
cause. and 1 trust that you will continue
10 until the November election has been
won. Very truly yours. M. A. Hanna
The Ohio boss has studied self-control
He can read one Of these letters without
botraylng startling emotion. He avoids
any unusual expression OF surprise or hi
larity. This ealmness strikes the visiting
statesman as extraordinary. lie had count
ed all the way up from Calhoun's cross
roads that the moment Mr. Hanna saw
that letter he would exclalm with deep
emotion: 80 you arc the mnnl I've been
wanting to SEQ youl Isn't there any place
under this administration that you could
be persuaded 60 acccpt7' The failure Of
Mr.. Hanna 20 respond ln this way throws
upon his visitor the responsibility Of lead
Ing the conversation. This Is unfortunate
~ there a. one characteristic more than
another which marks the c0lorod poltl-
clan, IL ~ painful modosty. and unwilling
ness 20 push himself forward. Isaac y. Al
len Of Boston exhibited this Characteristic
when he told the President on "a recent Wis
40 here that there was no knowing how
much longer the oolorod people could be-
held in line unless the prominent lead
Cra were suitably recognized"
As Mr. Hanna and bis visitors come 10
understand each other, ana the rubber
stamp business ~ exposed in an ne pOy.
criy Of sentiment, tho diailluaionment BE-
terrible "Do you mean. rHh. dat you
didn't write DAT derc name wiz your own