The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-17
NOTES OF THE CAMPAIGN.

Hanna on the Stump.-The manner in
which Mr. Hanna's stump speech at Del
phi Ind was received by all sorts and
conditions of men in Washington yester-
day shows that his performance consti-
tuted the chief news item of the day.
Even the news from the scene OF death
and ruin at Galveston paled into lnsig-
niiicance in comparison with the report
of Hannas speech. On the street cars.
in the hotel corridors and at other faces
where men were seen reading. newspal ers
ii was observed that the great bulk -
them turned to Hanna's speech and de-
voured it eagerly before glancing at other
news stories in the papers. And nearly
everybody. not even excepting enthusiastic
Democrats, pronounced Mr.. Hanna's
speech first-rate one from the Republic
can standpoint. Many people declared
that it was the finest deliverance OF the
campaign. Hanna is not an edcuated
man in the ordinary meaning of that term
Nor is he an experienced stump speaker.
Neither is he what the average public
speaker calls an artful speaker. 1t is con-
ceded that Hanna knows all the political
tricks of ancient and modern times when
it comes to managing a campaign, ana
that he even is capable at momsnt S
notice of inventiDg new political trlcks
suited to the exigencies of the situation,
but the campaign orators are 10Th 10
recognize Hanna in his true light as
stump speaker which is that he is the
most effective in his party today. Hanna
does not commit that folly common to
campaign orators, to wit: speaking above
the heads of his audience. Doubtless he
is not conscious of holding himself down
to the level of the aggregate intelligence
of his crowd, and therein sies his power
as an orator. The men who buy and sell
understand Hanna. The men who meas
ure dry goods and who lend and borrow
money understand him, In other words,
he is the apotheosis of the business
spirit of the nation, and when he talks
on the stump he employs the jargon and
the arguments of business men,. Some
of the ablest men in the country declare
that there is only one public speaker in
all the land who is Mr.. Hanna's superior
as a campaign orator-and that man is
William Jennings Bryan. Mr.. Bryan
never shoots above the heads OF has
hearers. He speaks for the most part
in monosyllables, and reduces to homely
comparison the most abstruse questions
in economies, finance, and diplomacy. MIR.
Hanna does this, too. 1t is contended that
II Mr.. Hanna and Mr.. Bryan should ex-
| change audiences neither one of them
would be as effective as he is-indeed.
| neither of them would be as thoroughly
understood. Senator Hoar, than whom
| there is no more scholarly or experienced
man in American public life, declared last
spring. after listening TO Mr.. Hanna two
| short speeches in the Senate on the armor
plate question, that the big boss from ONO
was the most convincing speaker he had
ever listened to. In view of the observa-
lions here made IL is hard to understand
| how Hanna Is to keep himself OF the
| stump during the remainder OF the cam
paign His Delphi speech shows so plainly
| that he is one of the very few Repubii-
| cans of prominence who are willing To
| give their party followers just what they
want to hear that it is believed the de-
mand for his services ir all the close
! States will be greater than he can re-
sist Il is true that his services are very
badly needed all the time at the head
quarters of the Republican National Com
! mittee, but II is thought that when 1t Is
made evident to him that by his oratory
he can keep the business men solldlS
braced up to the support OF Mr.. Ackin'
| lev he will turn over to somebody else
| al Headquarters the work he is now doint
| and take the stump wherever ne thlnki
his services are most needed.