The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-11-11

could do it without abatement OF dignity.
Perhaps Alexander Hamilton. He wes |
always In money troubles, always borrow
ing and some times perhaps. not paying.
But he never sold his soul. General Grant
touched money OF this sort. but without
loss to hts self-respect, and when the |
crash 10 his affairs came mark With what
nobility he bore himself--how he pledged |
his precious swords and medals to Van
derbilt for loan OF 100000 and how he |
literally went to his grave pen in hand |
that his family might be left above the |
need OF help.
But McKinley--what price he paid! |
OF the three men who passed tho hat IN |
his behalf / shall speak only OF Mark |
Hanna and of him very brefy. because !
have expressed my opinion OF his character
at length already 1t is perhaps enough
to say here that Hanna is not man who
suffers nice distinctions oil propriety or
good taste or high morality 10 Interfere
with his meals. Some men. having ne
a good turn for a man In McKinley's posi-
tion. would have made 1t point to keep
away from him thereafter lest their press
ence should seem to remind him Of the
obligation. Some men would have been
restrained BY certain deicacy frcm
asking political favor of the beneficiary
or In any way presumng upon the benent
/ to affect his political conduct
Some men, but not Hanna. II Is, OF
course, a truism now that Hanna owns
Mckinley--owns him body and soul, is
the actual president OF the United States
and the actual candidate for re- election.
But Il may not be so we'll known that this
iinholy relationship began with Hanna's
efforts on behalf Of the Mckinley for
tunes The money which this Cleveland
boss turned over to the Mckinley credit
ors he regarded as a loan; the security
was Mckinley himself. Hanna took a
mortgage and foreclosed forthwith. The
security has never been redeemed.
Hanna is a large owner OF street rail-
way and other franchises in Ohio towns,
In 1898 the Ohio legislature passed what
was known as the Nicholas bill, securing
valuable exemptions TO such properties in
the matter of taxation. Before the meas
ure came up in the senate Governor Nc
Kinley sent for the most influential sen
ators and labored with them In turn on
behalf of the Nicholas bill. AS each OF
! these senators entered the executive office
he found n man sitting beside the gov
ernor, prompting him from time to time.
Who was the man? Mark Hanna-no
other.
. In like manner Governor Mckinley la
> bored with the Ohio senators to vote for
the so-called ninety nineyear bill, which
had been drawn in the interest OF Hannas
< and other properties enjoying public fran
a chise. Some he coaXed, others threatened
4 others bribed with promises of patronage.
Some men suffer from sort OF moral
d strabiSmus, which makes it impossible foI
a them TO see the difference between ghl
o. and wrong. Mckinley does not seem tC
t.r4. NaF.nV uafig
; he thus prostituted his high Office to pay
= an ignoble debt aoquit him OF tina
y much.
). But for the American people the i'm
= portant thing, the dangerous thing, wa
q Hanna's discovery that in William Mckn
o ley he and all the privileged interests ahli
" to his had a useful man. useful man i
lie this connection means a man who can %
IL used. Used without mercy or serup.e
4 Used for any purpose Used easily Joy
ously, and then, II need be, thrown away
x DID YOU ever consider what are lkel
In to be the relations between Mark Ham
IS and william Mckinley after the latte
Is ceases to be president?
Well. the story OF McKinley's bond &
N to Hanna since Hanna made him preslder
& is the story of the MoKinley adm n s
tratlon. have already told II In grea
~ part under the head of NJ. A. Hanna
NJ is not q plGdSdHl slblS W bNfNH" HH'
= shall not repeat IT, Hanna did not tab
he a seat in the cablnet--he bought one ]
is the senate Therein he proved his shrewd
as ness. for government under Mckinley
n government by the senate, The cabin'
ag is no more than a bunch of clerks VII
" no power and no patronage. Tine WIS
to man who goes TO Washington after SOM
thing of value wastes no time with can
y net officers. much less at the Wnl
sr~I ctr IN
OF There was a time when the preslle
mt made Appointments "by and with the COZ
r. sent of the senate" Now senator's mai
Ic- Appointments and inform the presdPl
ed when they require his signature to u
: 4 commissions
ZIP To such pass has the incapacity al
mt inherent weakness Of William Mchlnl
ne brought this government. VIII auH
900 that the pressure was strong. me seha
lc- is now the most strongly organized co
zen poration in the world. 1t is formed enc
$50 ly. of monopollsts and their lawyers W
lad have conceived and carried out the pu
gs- nose OF capturing the government.
me strong man in the White House cou
have blocked the game, but what show
a man like Mckinley?
the
les Not that Mckinley has ever tried. WI
He great questions of state, such as preser
the ing the balance between the tnr
Hls branches of government. he is not &C
set cerned They lie beyond his ken. No
on. as when he was governor OF ONO, ne
busy only with little schemes leading
ms. his own election to or continuance in
rth. fice. The future of the Republic
unit honor, its sacred history are things wh
me he would throw into the scales agains
I'M reelection. with no thought save as
lad whether they should avail to turn
,sed scale.
hio. So between Hanna on the enc SIDE
Yer his own small ambition on the other W
dag little manhood he may ever nave
tin sessed has been squeezed out OF MINI
by has only the empty shell OF honor--and
hat is content with that.
that / am not one OF those who admit th@t
the virile honor has gone out OF the Am
p to lean people. But often think that no
ONE has gone to sleep, lulled by the lhce
, Of we burn too freely before the golden 9
D to How else to explain the tolerance "
lary which some millions of voters regard ;
a Of man as Mckinley? There is no ent
siasm for him, l admit, but there Is 70