The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-23
SENATOR HANNA ON TRUSTS.

1t mas been known 10 his cOunCryHleil
for many months past that that distin-
guished statesman and pure-minded pa
triot, Senator Mark Hanna, Gid not re-
gard the trusts as being a legitimate sub
ject of political concern. The country
had accepted this view of this able and
upright public servant as the most rea-
had occasion for more or less surprise.
especially in view of the senator's bust
ness and political antecedeats, had he en-
tertained any other view CT the situation.
Had Senator Hanna confined himself to
purely dogmatic position on the subject,
it would have been better all around. But,
political knight Grant as he is, he has
allowed his enthusiasm in the cause of
right to interfere with ais usual good
judgment, and has entered on a vipdica-
ton of his views Necessarily, sthe first
step in his dashing entry into polemics
was to direct attention to the indisputable
truth, that me and Mckinley are the
two foremost friends of the American la
boring man whom the advent of imperial
ist politics has brought into view.
Then followed the protective law. for
mulated by that friend of the working
man, William Mckinley quoth the pre-
] mier Ohio statesman. There is no other
friend Of the workingman whom Senator
Hanna thinks it proper to mention in this
connection save himself. T[e, too, is a
friend of the workingman, and of organ
izations of worl1ingmen, because, he adds,
appropriately enough, Labor organiza-
| tidns are a sort of trust, and I believe in
them, and always have"
Trusts are heavenly creations With
out them we could never have reached
our present wonderful ascendancy in the
commerce of the whole world. 1.-The or
binary corporations would never suffice
for the great work the trusts are doing;
and hence, the senator adds, as the eli
max of his powerful argument for the
| trusts, "Their formation is in a sense one
step forward" Unquestionably In
! sense they are not only one step, but
great number Of steps forward But in
| what sense this great dialectician does
not stop to explain. He doesn't have to.
Nor does he tell us just toward what
end they are a step forward
AS a premier of the imperialist admin
| istration, it is thankful circumstance
| that Senator Hanna has cast aside all re-
| straint in thus defining the attitude which
he and the president, and the other great
statesmen at Washington, take toward
the trusts, in which he is thoughtful
i enough to include labor organizations A
| less fervent advocate of imperialism
might not have spoken SO unreservedly.
| But Senator Hanna Is one of the master
! minds Of our era, which are ever sure of
their ground, and never hesitate to speak
their minds freely. And, besides. did not
! the Democrats declare that he dare not
discuss the dangerous subject? No SELF
respecting and thoroughly equipped
statesman could have withstood such a.
challenge. And for his ready acceptance
OF that challenge, and for his glorious
vtndfcatfon of the trusts as a social bless
ing, his countrymen, especially those Of
! them whom he and his friends DESIGNATE
as dough-faces and traitors, will forever
! be deeply indebted to him.