The herald., 1898-01-12
A COSTLY TRIUMPH

The expected has happened, and the
announcement of the election of Mar
Gus A. Hanna to the senate of the United
States by the legislature of Ohio need
cause no surprise to the readers Of this
journal, for we have steadily discounted
all of the claims of the opposition from
the moment its strength was disclosed
by the vote upon organization last week.
1t required no seer to foretell result
necessitated by the exigencies Of yet
powerful party on the eve of an impend-
ing crisis in it's history. Once the ad-
ministration disclosed its purpose of
making common cause with the ac-
knowledged representative of aggre.
gated capital in this country, the CO.
partner of protected trusts and illegal
combinations and entrenched power,
there was slight ground for hope that
the people would have an inning, that
right would prevail, that the strength of
popular government would be yindicat-
ed. a price was fixed upon the success
sion, and the cohorts of the administra-
ton had that price. The primary con-
sideration was money, exchanged for
honor. That was the first installment.
The next payment will be sacrifice of
fame, honor, prestige, continued dom
ination. For, sooner or later, the Amer
lean conscience will revolt at the impu-
dent and brazen assertion of Money
Bags and hurl him from power and
place. Such exhibitions of audacious
trafficking in votes, unblushing barter
ing of personal honor, unscrupulous
pandering to human weaknesses, as
that which has been witnessed at Co.
lumbus during the past week. are prob
ably without parallel in this country.
And if the spectacle were not without
measurable compensation, in the line
of the hint here thrown out, the culmi-
mating episode of yesterday might well
be regarded in the light of an ill-omen
for the perpetuity of free institutions in
this country. That it constitutes dan
gerous menace to human liberty is not
dependent upon partisan assertion. Re
publicans as we'll as Democrats, if they
be patriots, recognize and deplore the
hesitate to call halt. Politically loyal
and steadfast as is our morning contem-
porary, it yet was yesterday morning
constrained to declare that the employ
ment of so unscrupulous scoundrel rs
Boyce in the capacity of a go-between
is in itself indubitable evidence of cor
rupt intent and practice; that the asso-
citation of his name with that of any can
didate for office should be sufficient to
defeat the aspirations of such a candi-
date. and that no man is fit for the posi-
tempts to bribe his way into that posi-
ton. Commenting further upon the de-
velopments in the Ohio contest, the same
paper says:
The connection of Boyce with Han
mas candidacy is the severest possible
arraignment of Hannas methods and
Of Hanna's campaign. 1t is prima facie
a confession of corrupt intent, and
should, If proved, forever relegate Mar
Gus A. Hanna to the obscurty of pri-
vate life, if not to a worse fate. A
principal is responsible for the acts of
his agents. If Hanna is willing to as
sumo this responsibility in the case of
Boyce, he must be prepared to take
the consequences. which will be- or
ought to be, defeat and ignomny.
We should perhaps be content with
this Republican arraignment of Hanna,
for it is just and true, and is uninfiu-
enced by political bias or partisan preju
dice, unmodified by awe of partisan obli-
cation or the party whip. 1t is fearless
protest against palpable wrong, q
srievous outrage, q fearful peril to all
men and all parties. 1t needs no fur
ther characterization at our hands, and
yet we should feel we are recreant to
our duty as a public journal if we do
not frequently hold up to the scorn and
contempt of all right-thinking men the
vicious and dangerous elements that
have combined to bring about this un-
holy consummation. Humiliating as is
the suggestion, it is none the less true,
that the responsibility for it and the
odium of it extend to the very doors of
the White House.