The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-08-19
man in public office owes the public

anything"
Such was the sentiment expressed by
Marcus Alonzo Hanna on Nov. II. 1870.
He wrote it in a letter addressed to
David Cemper Watson, who at that time
was Attorney General of Ohio, and Re
publican politician, who has since served
creditablv in Congress. Mark Hanna is
now himsilf in public office and candi-
date for full term in the Senate OF the
United States. His remark is much
more interesting than when he made it.
In November, 1890, Mark Hanna was a
private citizen. He was, however, be-
ginning his buldozing methodsot politi-
cal tyranny in Cleveland, and was coun-
ted a power in local and State politics.
At least he felt himself powerful enough
to threaten an official of the State and to
demand of that official a withdrawal OF
suit filed against the Standard Oil Com
pany.
Hanna and the Oil Trust.
Some months before Mark Hanna's
expression of his remarkable opinion OF
a public servants obligations to the pub
lie, Attorney-general Watson, brave,
honest official, had dared to attack the
Standard Oil Trust.
He had of his own volition, brought
quo warranto proceedings in the Su-
preme Court of Ohio, charging the Oil
Trust with fragrant violation of the law.
He insisted that by such violation the
Standard had forfeited its charter and
was no longer privileged to do business
III Ohio.
This suit was shock and surprise to
the monopoly. Its managers used every
influence to prevent the suit coming to
trial. Every politician that they owned
or controlled was put to work to stay
Watson from pushing the action.
The trust had been brazingly defying
law, and had owned Legislatures, otti-
Cials and possibly Judges to such an eX-
tent that it had no fear of interruption.
When the Watson suit was brought
the Standard managers thought, quite
naturally, that this action. like all others,
could be stopped by bribery, bulldozing
or methods hitherto fashionable and
frequent. To their surprise they found
Watson unapproachable.
Coaxing Succeeded Bulldozing.
Then began the battle to coax him into
A withdrawal of the case. Letters pour
ed into his office. They came from men
high in official Gfe-from Watson's per
sonal friends. from lawyers and million
aires. Along in November came the
letter from Mark Hanna, containing the
remarkable expression above quoted.
When Hannas letter was received,
Watson was highly indignant To many
of his friends he spoke of Hanna's letter
with resentment. He showed the Han
ma letter to several of these friends and
waxed warm in his comments. Watson
considered the letter an insult. He felt
1 4, l., ,,,,,1..1F 4
quently made no secret of the fact that
such a letter had been received.
This explains why the letter is so well
remembered by several Ohio politicians,
now that Hanna is himself in public life.
A correspondent of The World had
several talks with the Attorney-General
about this letter, and recalled the Incl
dent when Hannas name became so
prominent in national affairs
The same World correspondent read
this letter. No one could read 1t and
ever forget it.
The resentment of Watson at the time
helped to make the recollection of the
letters contents more vivid and lasting.
Substantially this is what Hanna wrote
TO an official of the State of Ohio:
81 noticed some time ago that you had
brought suit to take away the charter of
the Standard Oil Company, I intended
at the time to write you about it, but it
slipped my memory.
Met His Friend Rockefeller.
"a few days ago, while in New York,
1 met my friend John d, Rockefeller,
and he called my attention to the fact
that you had brought the suit but did
not ask me to influence you in any way"
gfzt. 90, 80 oct hot
Rockefeller did not instigate what Hanna
was about to write. Hanna praised the
Standard Oil Company, told what great
good it had done the city of Cleveland,
and advised Watson not to make an at
tack on organized capital"
Then Hanna's letter by implication
threatened Watson with political extinc-
ton. "I have always considered you in
the line of political promotion" said
Hanna, and then went on to intimate
that unless the suit against the Standard
was Withdrawn Watson would be the OBJ
iect of yengance by the corporation and
its friends forever after.
As if to clintch his threat and argu-
ment, Hanna wrote:
You have been in politics long enough
to know that no man in public office owes
the public anything.
This, the most remarkable and strik-
ing sentence of the letter, burned itself
into Watson's memory and into the
memory of his friends to whom he told
of it.
The entire Hanna letter was full of
scolding and mandatory advice-a threat
from start to finish-a domineeriug re-
buke from a political boss to an honest
servant of the State.
1t concluded with a reference to the
present Secretary of State, John Sher-
man. Hanna wrote:
81 understand that Senator Sherman
inspired and instigated this suit, If that
is so | will take OCCASION to talk to him
sharply when see him"
The letter was written on the typewri-
ter and on letter-heads Of Hanna's bust
ness Office i'll Cleveland.
watson's Emphatic Reply.
Watson let his anger cool before max
ing reply, which he did in the following
letter, written few weeks after the re-
ceip, of Hanna's remarkable communi-
cation
Dec. I3. 1890
Hon. Il. A. Hanna, Cleveland Ohio.
MY Dear Sir: Your communication of
the 2ist ultimo came duly TO hand. The
delay ia answering ii has been caused
largely by my being i'll for several days
j did not intend that bringing the action