The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-30
IS LOVED By LABOR
Great Change in the Reputa-
ton of Mr.. Hanna
WITH WORKING CLASS
Tide of Truth Washing Away
Public Prejudice.
Special Correspondence Of the Eagle.

1885 that within FIVE or six years time
Marcus A Hanna would have become the
IDOL OF the Iaboring classes Of the coun-
try; their friend and their best one. per
haps, then whoever made that prediction
would have been accused Of dementia,
due. no doubt. to the strenuous campaign
Of that famous year.
But the prophet would have been right
The year 1902 finds the man who was ac-
cused OF everything vile and unreason-
able and attacked, now the friend Of the
laboring men and the adjuster OF differ
ences between them and capital. It finds
the so-cailed representarive-in 1S96-Of
capital and monopoly, as fully and COM
pletely in 1892 a representative Of labor
and Drawn. No longer are the pleasant
features OF the Ohio senator and leader
caricatured and distorted in an effort
TO make him appear all that was gross
Rnd reviling. as the bogie-man OF capital
and trusts. who was TO brighten the labor
ing children out Of their boots
Marcus A. Hanna is g. years OF age.
For more than 20 years he has been an
employer Of labor. On the ships and
barges OF Lake Erie; IN the coal and oil
regions OF Ohio; on the street railways
system OF the city OF Cleveland, Ohio,
snd IN shop and factory store and Office,
thousands and thousands OF men have
worked for Hanna. Yet it is the boast Of
this genial old man that in all these forty
years. he never had a strike or a sug-
Eestion OF a strike. There never has
been a complaint. he says. that has not
hos
man left his employ without having an
opportunity To tell the chieftain his
troubles. There never has been q time
when Hanna sat IN his Cleveland Office. !
that the swinging doors Of his private
apartment did not open more easily on
their hangings to the veriest laborer than /
70 the business associate, the politician. /
the friends. In all the millions Of dol (
lars Hanna has paid out in the forty |
years 70 his employees, the wage has been !
ss high as or higher in individual in !
Etances than anywhere else. II has not /
gone grudgingly. II has paid for honest |
service. and given out plentifully by an |
honest man.
This. then IS his record And Hanna /
Dnce said that II any man would bring 1
proof Of his having ever mistreated an
employs in these forty years; If any
man could be found who said Hanna was /
not a good employee then he, Hanna
would resign his seat in the United States
senate. This was the presidential cam
paign Of 1900 Had the man been found.
Hanna would have kept his word. But he
was not found. The surrender Of the seat
In the senate, which Hanna prizes SO
much. was not al all necessary
Everyone recalls how this man was
cartooned and lampooned in the 1895 cam
psign. Does anyone recall any recent
caricatures which are so gross. so re-
pUgnant. now OF course not. The
change has not ben sudden, but gradual
A year ago there were those who had
not materially changed opinion Of the
man. Most persons have today.
Possibly the one thing OF all which
served TO bring Hanna more into public
liking was the death of President Nc
Kinley last fan. The Ohio senator loved
the great President when the latter
MAS stricken in Buffalo that sad Septem-
Der day. the trains could not take Hanna
last enough TO the side OF his dying
friend. And then, as. day after day, the
country was told the story Of the patient
sufferer at the AIilburn house, which
anally ended in the death OF the gentle
man. there were fw who did not follow
just as closly the sad-faced bent man
who walked the way to Mfburn house
many times a day TO see his dying friend.
Aged and ssd-eyed. the senator from Ohio
who had been almost the best friend the
president had: a lifelong friend, soon
had the sympathy of the nation. And
when his friend and chief passed away.
while the nation remembered the dead.
It also remembered the living.
This. then was one strong factor in
changing public opinion toward AR. Han
IA. And when. shortly after this. he was
selected as member of the executive =
Of the National Civic Fedora
tion and later an arbiter in all great dis
putes between capital and labor the SEN
timent in his favor became stronger. His
work in Boston, where the tesmsters +,
had long been ar sword s-points with cap
Ital and all traffic was tied up; his work
IN Pennsylvania. and Ohio. and then in
New York City brought him stu closer !
II the tailoring men. The meanwhile he
has not suffered among his capitalisUc {
friends. He posses the confidence and
respect Of both classes. and VIII continue
to do so. Recently at a meeting in Ohio
be stated publicly. that r. at the close
Of his career. he would have been able
to leave q name that should be synono-
nous with aid 20 the laboring people OF
the country he should prize it higher c
han any political success that could $
,one 20 him or any business enterprise
,. vast proportions IN which he might
have ben engaged in his long career. 2
This Is the senior from Ohio. he IS.
beyond sn this. able in statecraft. as q
seu as skilled in practical politics. No
speech IN the last or present congress c
ass ADLER than his on his shipping bin. 3
ThorouShly informed; with simple buJ
1orcible utterance; with good voice and c
,leasins address. he spoke Tor hours on Z
lis subject about which he knows every I
hiaE. and IA which he Is vitality interest v
ed as a citizen OF the country which un-
fortunately does not control its trade
,arryine :
- this s'mple-manne-ed. genial. plain
appearing gentleman: the friend 81 LABOR
ma capital alike: the s1llfUl political
eader ana The well-iuformed public man
DE cIosent confident Of the greatest pres
dent OF his generation. Is coming rapidly
nto position IL the country's capital /
ma the nation IS 2 whole which might
,e envied by anyone. All ms. despite
De most violent and Incorporate oppo-
dtion u him within ihe past few years. !,
Arthur w. Dunn. correspondent for the
associated Press in the Senate. is also a
pecial Washington correspondent for q Z.
lumber Of papers. In some correspond b