The times., 1898-01-06
rhe Case of Mr. Hanna.

The situation In Columbus, ONO,
among other things, illustrates not
only the chaotic state or the Repub-
lican national organization as il exists
to-day, but its inherent inability TO
preserve even the shadow OF partisan
consistency. in its public action. Judg-
ing from the general and special re-
ports which come to The Times, we
believe that the Democratic campaign
in the Ohio Legislature against Han
na and Hannaism is being conducted
with shrewd political sense If it
should result in the defeat of one of
the most dangerous enemies of the peo-
pie that American history ever has
produced, that will be excellent; out
it is not to the purpose of these re-
marks
When ii comes to q question of
party organization and the orderly ap-
plication of its viii, as legitimaLeiy eX-
pressed through it's recognized agen-
cies, we are quite unable to find
anything TO admire in the revolt of a
few Republican legislators in Colum-
bus against the boss whose precepts,
purposes and domination over the State
have been indorsed by the highest tri-
bunal of the party. The Republican
State convention declared that Mar
Gus Aurelius Hanna should be returned
to the National Senate This was
done with full knowledge that MS ele-
vation, by legislative election, would
be construed by the country to mean
hi q in
yention assembled, pledged themselves
to the Administrations alliance with
Spain against liberty and humanity;
that it would include Endorsement of
the gold standard contraction, the de-
struction of the greenbacks. tie an
nexation of America to Great Britain
through an arbitration" conspiracy
dictated from the British Foreign Office:
and many other things in the same
line. The convention, which was truly
and ultimately representative, Pro-
posed these things as the faith of the
party. when il said that Marcus Au-
relius Hanna ought to be the next
long-term Senator from Ohio.
IN exactly the same way, although
not upon the same specific grounds,
two years ago. Senator Foraker was
indorsed and elected to the senate as
he should have been under any consid-
Grafton of party fealty and effective
organization.
Through party instrumentalities and,
of course, the corrupt sound brsi-
ness methods" inseparable from Re-
publican activity, a majority of the
legislature was secured TO carry into
effect the will of the party. Ii is as
legitimate for the Legislators 50 placed
in office 10 refuse to carry out that
VIII as it would have been FOR men
elected as Mckinley electors in the
Presidential compaign to have cast
their votes for Bryan. In both cases
the bolt would be within their legal
rights; but political ethics would not be
violated any more in the one than in
the other case.
The fact that the return OF AR Han
ma to the Senate. in its final conse-
Quences, would be Of advantage TO the
Democratic party in the campaigns Of
the present year and in 1900, does rot
cut the least figure in this argument
What we are after is the question OF
political consistency. The object of
Republican rule is to destroy what is
left of the prosperity of the country:
to subvert it to the control Of foreign
financial interests; To rob the people.
that trusts and monopolies may thrive
and grow rich and buy elections, and
to reduce the masses TO poverty and
serfdom. The man who most complete
ly represents those policies and ptlr-
poses is the man 20 whom the Repub-
lioan party ought to accord all honor
and glory. Where, as is the truth in
Ohio, the very leader who has done
more than any other individual on the
continent to bring about the present
sal and discouraging conditions of the
day, and, hence, is the very ideal of
Republicanisnl, is marked for siaugI1-
Ter by a few people, lost to all sense
of consistency or the mandates of the
power that put them where they are,