Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-06-17
iced Yersus Hanna.


Reed Versus Hanna.
There is "a general disposition on the
part Of the Democratic members of the
House of Representatives who have felt
the spikes of the Speakers heel, tc
place Tom Reed on the pedestal as the
typical Republican of the day. But
Speaker Reed has rival. Mark Hanna
has strong claims to the distinction Of
being the perfect type of latter-day
Republication.
Speaker Reed represents political
bossism carried to its ultimate conclu'
sion. In so far as the political ma.
chine may be the agent of any interest
whose alliance is profitable, Reed is the
agent of trusts and syDdicates But he
is their agent only in the capacity of
party boss and to the extent that the
interests of the syndicate and of the
party are identical or demand common
action. He is primarily politician
and affects the garb of craftsmanship.
He is cynical, audacious, inscriptions,
virilc but personally above sordid cor
ruption. He appeals to the intellect
and does his work in the mode OF
craftsmanship
Hanna, on the other hand, is the per-
souifcation of the sordid in politics
He combines political bossism with
trust agency. But political power
with him is merely means to sordid
end. The political machine is an iu-
strument of profit. The prime source
of his inspiration and his power is the
syndicate, the combination for mutual
gain. AS cynical and INSCRIPTIONS as
Reed, he lacks Reeds dashing audaci-
ty and intellectual brilliancy. His
moral and mental fiber is far coarseI
than Reeds and his standards much
lower He measures mans value by
the pocketbook and virtue by its price
as mercantile commodity. He .ap-
peals wholly to the lowest motives.
He carries to its logical sequence the
theory that every man has his price
and deals with masses of voters as il
they were bushels of wheat and as il
the problem of carrying an election
were identical with the question OF
cornering the market,
Hanna's career is perfect illustra-
ton of the development of the spirit
which dominates the Republicanism oil
the day and makes mere creature Of
sordid interest. He got into politics
by bonding the debts and taking a
mortgage on the future of popular
politician. To make his initial invest
ment pay he syndicated political
campaign and assessed the sharehold
ers for enough money to buy success
lie is now using the political machine
under the control of Reed to develop
the profits. His campaign in Ohio for
the Senatorship emphasizes the meth
DDS of the man. The fact that he is
the most unpopular man in the State
and has no qualification for the office
he seeks does not disturb him. Popu.
larity and merit do not figure in his po-
litical calculations; he puts his faith in
purchasing power and in his ability to
syndicate political interests for mater
ial gain.
No more dangerous man than Hanna
has ever came to the sgrface in Ameri-
can politics. His methods corrupt the
manhood of the nation and debase pol
itics to the level of dishonest gambling.
The dominance in the country of the
spirit typiHed by Hanna, which is al.
ready in control of the greater part OF
the Republican organization, would be
fatal to free government.
Speaker Reed, playing the party boss
within the confines of the House, is a
pigmy beside this colossus of Mammon
who is trying to bestride the continent.
st. Louis Republic.