The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-08-19
HANNA'S POPULISTS.
A Particularly Clever Dissection Of
Conditions at the Populist
Convention,


Convention.
The Populistic fiasco at Columbus
has been dissected by the Cleveland |
Recorder, as follows
1t was a foregone conclusion, as we
said in The Recorder last Wednesday, |
that Populist ticket would be nomin- |
ated at Columbus. Three conditions
conspired, as we then explained, to
make this inevitable.
There Is in the first place group of
sincere and disinterested Populists
who cannot distinguish populism with
out the label. They are always for a
third-party campaign, in which, to use
an expressive phrase of theirs, they
can fight ''single.handed and alone"
The smaller their party the greater
their enthusiasm. This group was
naturally and honestly in favor of soli-
tary action. 1t was as naturally and
honestly encouraged by second group,
composed of men who, while perfectly
sincere, enjoy the distinctions of can
didacy and leadership which they could
hope for only from a small political
party. Then, in the third place, there
is corrupt group, group of profess
ed Populists, ready to sell themselves
and all they can influence or control TO
the highest bidder. The latter group
was under Mark Hanna's pay at Co
lumbus. For the money it had receiv-
ed from Major Dick, it played upon the
vanity of the second group and the
fanaticism of the first, and thereby pro-
duced the split in the democratic ele-
ments of the state which Mr.. Hanna 80
much desires.
That the corruptionists were bought
by Mr.. Hanna is almost too evident to
call for proof. 1t is to Hanna's inter-
est that Populist ticket should be in
the field. True, it is for the interest of
the Democrats, on the other hand, that
there should not be such ticket. But
in this direction the interest of the
Democrats lies in the direction of con-
solidating allies by unity of principle
and purpose, whereas Hanna's interest
lies in the direction of splitting up his
opposition by trlckery. For that and
cognate reasons, Hanna's motive for
hiring the Populists to nominate a
ticket is infinitely greater than any
motive the Democrats could have for
hiring them to fuse.
Moreover, the Democrats have no
money to spare for corruption, whereas
Hanna has an abundance, which he in
tends to use without stint for that pur-
pose. And while John r. Mclean
might let money flow freely for cor
ruption uses, yet he would not do so ex-
cept for selfish ends, and those are too
remote. He has not acquired, and will
not acquire, a senatorial pledge from
the Democrats, as Hanna has from the
Republicans. Mclean is not spending
money now.
When to Hanna's motives, ability,
and willingness, we add other we'll
known facts, the case against him and
the corrupt group of Populists is fairly
conclusive. The proof that Hanna's
political agent, Col. Dick, bought two
Populist leaders whom he supposed to
belong to the corrupt group, is COM
plete. His own check to one of these
men, which cannot be explained upon
any other hypothesis, convicts him,
And if he bought two, it is folly to sup
pose that he did not buy more, though
no direct evidence be forthcoming.
These two put him to the test with the
intention of exposing him. In their
cases, therefore, he was caught. The
other cases are different. 1t is not to
be supposed that either Col. Dick him
self or those who sold themselves to
him with the intention of staying
bought" would testify against them
selves, and there is no one to testify
directly against them, But that Dick
bought two Populists who exposed
him; that other Populists, without
visible means of travel or support,
have been going over the state working
up "middle-of-the-road sentiment
that the Republican press is devoted in
| lJb tchuST bOllClUutiS lOr tlc lOuSbl
middle of!the.road Populist," whom at
all other seasons it bitterly decries
that a Populist ticket is well known to
constitute part cf the Hanna cam
paign outfit,-these are facts which es.
tablish the corrupt manipulation of the
Populist convention by Hanna. They
present the best evidence of which the
nature of the case admits and it is sig
nificant enough to satisfy all but the
unsophisticated.
The Populist convention, then, was
Hanna's convention, and the Populist
ticket is bis ticket. Not his to elect,
but his to use for the diversion of votes
which would be agaist him if they
were not diverted.