The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-17
Two Pictures of Hanna. :

"WO PICTURES of Mark
Hanna, each drawn by vcr-
Il bal experts, are going the
rounds of the press. They
differ radically and illustrate what
wide margins there can be among the
current estimates of men contempor-
aneously great The first is by Will
liam Allen White, the journalistic
prophet of modern Kansas, who writes
in his Emporia Gazette
Hanna i, strong, sensible, capable, honest man
and the foundation of his character is common
sense. In every great emergency and in all the
little ones Hanna applies the rule OF common
sense to the solution Of the problem before him.
Then he applies a 40O'horse power dynamo OF will
and makes sensible things happen. The other
day there was state convention in Ohio. Hanna
Was chairman. He bos,ed the job. lie shut of
uratory, and all the world wondered. Yet why?
Why should hye hundred men sit cooped up in a
hot hall to he bawlcd at by lot OF other men
when there is business on hand? Hanna did the
common sense thing. II took some courage TO do
il, but Hanna has courage lie Is one OF the
greatest men in America, not merely today
hut in American history. In effectiveness in Get.
ting history made and baled up and in the
books with his brand on it Hanna leads Blaine
Seward and Hamilton. lie is not iussy nor Clo-
quent, but he does things that should be done
Hanna is all right. lie would make good prcs.
dent.
The other portrait is by William
Marion Reedy, whose weekly journal
the Mirror, of st. Louis, is one of the
brightest publications of its class. Mr.
Reedy writes:
Mr. Hanna may be strong, capable, honest, as
men go, but the question is whether Mr.. Hanna
is scrplous. lie is doubtless, technically honest
but the greater part Of American people believe
that he is not scrupulous as to means and that
his ends are not OF the exalted sort We expect
in our statesmen. Business man" Is a magic
phrase, but there are better things than business
in this world. Common sense is good, but com.
mon sense is bad morals when II is concentrated
in the motto "gct there anyhow" There are
questions Of government that cannot be settled
on the business man idea alone The business
idea is, what'll it cost and Is it worth in The
business idea in government, as Mr.. Hanna
seems TO eXcmpliiy il, is that organilation
backed by coin, will do anything or every.
thing, Mr., Hanna's common sense seems 10 be
of that sort that recognizes only the gros,cr
needs of men. He figures that the people will
90 with the side that has the money. lie banks
on the full dinner,pal His only answer 10 an
issue Of principle is, "louk al our prosperity!"
Say TO him that we should think Of other nations
and peoples and he would say "BoSh, let 'cm
look after themselves" His motto is take what
you can get, crush out opposition by organiza.
tion and money and solidifed selfish interest
What does Hanna care for abroad? What does
Hanna care for the men who think that govern.
ment should be as Just 10 the outsider as the in.
slider? Nothing Hanna knows nothing, cares for
nothing but that business, and more particularly
his business is fourishng. He doesn't think
that the great masses Of the people have an in.
terest in government quite independent OF the