The Washington times., 1901-10-08
MIR. M'KINLEY AND MIR. HANNA.
The Presidents own story of Their
First Meeting.

(From the New York Evening Post.)
A touching feature of the scenes attend
| ing the death and burial of President Nc
kinley was the unfeigned grief of Senator
| Hanna, who was his warm friend for so
many years. and half whose heart seems
! to have been laid in the tomb with him
| The affection which bound the two to-
| gether In their later life was, curiously
| enough, an outgrowth of the opposite
sentiment. for their first meeting was as
enemies.
Hanna as a young man was interested
| as a junior partner in a coal-mining en-
| terprise which his father had helped put
| upon its feet near Alliance, Ohio. He was
well-to-do. dressed rather luxuriously. and
| carried himself with the air of a man who
realized his Importance to the community
One day there was trouble at the mine,
and eleven of the laborers were arrested
for some violent demonstration. They
procured bail. and sought out young
lawyer named Mckinley. whom they had
heard of as poor and struggling, hut cIev-
er. and whose own hard knocks in life
they believed would make him particu-
larry sympathetic with their condition,
Mckinley heard their story, and told them
he would defend them. and charge them
nothing except the court fees and ex-
penses.
On the day of the trial the eleven men
were ranged up before the bar, and in the
foremost seats on the other side sat
young Hanna and a friend of about his
own age, also the son of rich parents,
and equally prosperous in appearance As
soon as the witnesses had been examined
it became plain that there were almost
equal measures of right and wrong on
the parts of employers and employed, and
that sentiment rather than weight of
logic would settle matters with the jury
Mckinley, in relating the story years af-
ter to a friend. said:
IF my life had depended upon it | could
not have resisted the impulse that seized
me suddenly TO play the demagOgue-
There was something so provocative of
all that was satirical in me, to see those
two SNUG figures over there, and the two
contemptuous smiles which met my gaze
whenever l looked across at them. that L
addressed the court in this style: May 1t
please your honor, | shall not attempt to
review the evidence in this case, for II is
so simple and direct that no one could
fail to see the bearings of each item. and
your honor knows the law better than /
could eXpound il to you. But turning to
the jury. 1 shall ask you gentlemen mere
ly to let your eyes follow mine in a sweep
ing view of this court room Over yon-
der sit two sleek, well-fed. carefully
groomed sons of wealth and fashion.
&c observe their soft hands, their bloom
ing color. their dainty raiment. On this
side sit eleven men of toll, pale from the
lives they lead underground, far hidden
from the health giving rays of the sun
They probably have never had, for a
weeks sustenance of their families, so
much food. or so good, as those two
young dandies waste at enc of their ex-
travagant feasts. These poor fellows are
doomed TO lead unnatural lives in an un-
wholesome atmosphere, and probably go
down to premature graves. in order that
our gentle young Lucullus and his friend
may robe themselves in purple and regale
tongues. Admitting. gentlemen, that
there is right both sides. and wrong
on both sides. which do you consider
has had the greater strain upon its tenn
per and its instinct of good order?
In this vein l proceeded for twenty
minutes perhaps, and then sat down and
which my rich opponents regarded me.
Their sarcasm had now turned to anger,
and | doubt not. II they could have
wrought their will with me at that mo-
ment they would have behaved worse
than the eleven miners had been accused
of behaving. The jury surprised US all
with the promptness of their verdict, and
my clients walked out of the room, free
men. almost while the judges charge was
still ringing in our ears.
4 met Hanna year or more after
that. l was naturally disposed TO avoid
him, as / supposed he still cherished
grudge against me. To my surprise. he
came forward with his hand out Nc
Ninley' said he, L was as angry as |
knew how to be the day you made that
speech. l was never so awfully scored
in my life. But when / came tn think It
over. it was a wonderful speech. and
could not help admiring the man who
could make such use Of such material.
The next time we meet in court room
hope it will be as counsel and client, not
as enemies.
His frankness went to my heart.
confess that | had been little bit
Of my line of attack upon MN,
and I had many times been compelled to
call up the memory of his sneering face
in order to justify my conduct to myself;
but from the day we shook hands we
became friends: and a stancher- truer
friend in season and out. in good weather
and bad I have never had than hei'