The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-10-10

public offioials in. favor of q grasping,
law-defying corporation. The entire
letter to Watson was q scolding, mass
of mandatory advice, a rebuke from a
domineering, arrogant political boss
to an honst public servant. Even that
far back Hanna was preparing to humi-
late and destroy John Sherman. The |
concluding sentence Of the letter was
this:
II understand that Senator Sber-
man inspired and instigated this
suit. If this is so will take occasion
to- talk to him sharply when l see |
him"
Think of it, John Sherman honored |
statesman, senator, beloved of Ohio Re- |
publicans, to be scolded and rebuked by |
Mark Hanna, then local boss in Cleve- |
land Years afterward Hanna did
humiliate Sherman by throwing him out
of the senate, then by pushing him out
| of the cabinet.
wATsoN's REPLY.
Watson was mad all over at this
Hanna letter. At first Watson intended
, to write sharp, sarcastic letter in
lreply. However, he cooled off a little,
and then wrote the following dignified
answer:
columbus, Ohio, December 13, 1890.
"Hon. M. A. Hanna, Cleveland, Ohio
My Dear Sir: Your communication Of
the 21st ult. came to hand. The de-
lay in answering 1t has been caused
largely by my being Ill for several days.
I did not intend that bringing the action
to which you refer in your letter should
be an attack on organized capital 70
am aware that great business trans
actions require the union and concen-
tration of moneyed interests, and fully
, appreciate what has been done in that
, direction. Yet I cannot feel that am
justyfied in bringing the suit against the
Standard Oil company, and believe
that there are may things relating to
, the case, which If you understood, would
cause you to entertain different views
Z concerning it and my relation to it..
Let me impress at least one thing on
I you with particularly, and you may
depend absolutely upon it's truthful
!. ness.
e "sENATOR SHERMAN NEVER
|. SUGGESTED OR ENCOURAGED
e THIS SUIT EITHERnDIRECTLY OR
f INDIRECTLY.
e This must be understood in its
o Ibroadest sense. The report probably
r arose from the fact that the suit was
It brought shortly after the senator made
: his great speech in support of his anti
# trust bill. You will hardly receive my
l. statement with favor, I fear but
alone am responsible for the action
No one encouraged me to bring it OF
Il knew that it would be brought until
J. determined to do so, and 1t Is unfair tt
J. lother persons to suspect or charge then
It with suggesting it or encouraging it.
% with the highest appreciation o
o your friendship am, with great res
-s pect, truly yours,
II DAVID K. WATSON"
~ Such was the mild dignified reply o
20 Watson to man who tried to instruc
,e an attorney general of Ohio, sworl
4 public official as to what he should o
IN should not do. In short, Hanna at
: tempted to coerce Watson into favorin
w the greatest trust of all trusts.
FRIEND OF ALL TRUSTS.
~ If Hanna was the devoted friend O
a- that trust in 1890 he has shown on ever
possible occasion since that he is tn
De friend of all trusts.
e. 1t must not be forgotten that at tn
t. late Republican state convention Mar
to Hanna gave the tip that Sheets is tn
ne safest man." The remark carried ou
t. among the Hanna delegates mad
ne Sheets, of Ottawa the nominee 70
n attorney general Failing years ag
a.. tn hill n hro
to Ohio, Hanna, now in charge of Re
publican affairs, has nominated a can
didate for attorney general who is sup
posed to be after Hanna's own heart.
ID NASH TOOK PART.
IL Two years ago when public mentio
en- Of the famous Hanna letter to Watso
wv was made, George X. Nash, now tn
.. Republican candidate for governor wa
nc chairman of the Hanna state commit
LII tee. Nash had himself been attorne
" general of Ohio. He was disturbed q
'i the discovery of a letter which mad
au defense Of Hanna necessary. Mas
10 went to Watson and wanted to see tn
40 letter.
ha Watson remarked
i and you do not want to see It."
M "Why not?" queried Nash.
~ Because" replied Watson, 18th
us verbatim language of it is muc
a. worse than the papers have quote
it,"
I'm that case" said Nash, ~ cues
NJ, 1 don't want TO see it,"
ha So the letter slumbered i'm the "a fe dc
" lposit vault of a Columbus bank locate
be In the Park hotel building With
A was letter written by Allen T. Brins
I Imade, Of Cleveland, once chairman {
,r, the Republican state committee. Lik
ct Hanna, Brinsmade wrote Watson on be
i'd half of the Standard urging that tn
." suit be withdrawn, yet, strange to sa
at eight years later the supreme court G
n Ohio appointed Brlnsmade a specis
of commissioner to hear testimony In