Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-05-23
HANNA IS AFRAID OF SOCIALISM.


WASHINGTON, May 18.-"What will be the
outcome of the coal striker" said Senator
Hanna, to-day. "No one can tell. I have
nothing to say as to the merits Of the contro-
versy. have not discussed them for publica-
;tion. Our mission is to act as a conciiator. 1t
would be manifestly improper for me to say
whether one side or the other was in the wrong.
lBrt even it the ivic Federation should fail to
settle the strike, it would not mean that it has
failed in its purpose for exerting an influence
on employers of labor and the workingman."
Senator Hanna called attention TO signal
victory which the council OF Cancellation has
won within the last week without any news
paper notoriety, and, indeed, without any in
formation being promulgated as to what was
going on. This was an adjustment of labor
and other troubles which threatened at one
time to force all the newspa pers of the United
States to suspend publication.
The troubles involved all the mills in the
United States engaged in the making of white
paper. If it had occurred, it would have in
volved thousands of workingmen, affected mil
lions of capital and deprived the public of its
news. Senator Hanna estimates that if the
strike had occurred, the newspapers would
have ceased to appear within two weeks. The
three combinations which control all the white
paper were involved.
II what his friends say is true, his plan con-
templated not only industrial peace in the
United States, but AN ERADICATION OF
THE EVILS OF SOCIALISM, which, to the
m nds of political observers, ale likely to fame
forth at any time.
Senator Hanna sounded his first note of
warning at notable dinner given him at the
Union League Club of New York, just after
the election of 1900, by the most prominent
fnanciers and leaders of industry in the United
States. Hundreds of millions of capital weIe
represented.
On this occasion, Senator Hanna told his
hearers that during the two great campaigns
that he had conducted, he had been impressed
with the tremendous growth of sentiment in
this country that might be arrayed in such a
mass as to literally overwhelm the conservative,
thinking element. This was due to the large
increase of the foreign. born population that
was centering in the great cities.
The situation, he described, meant distinct
danger from Socialism, and unless steps were
taken to lead this great mass in the right drec-
tion-to convince it that capital was its friend,
and not its enemy-a banefu effect might be
felt in the near future--possibly in the cam
paign of 1904, and perhaps earlier. Wher ].
Pierpont Morgan was called on for speech,
after Senator Hanna took his seat, Mr.. Morgan
replied: "Senator Hanna has made my
speech"
Senator Hanna has been impelled to this
view by many signs of the times, The size of
the Bryan vote was one of them. Another was
the result of the election in his own state in
1899. Then, Jones, the "Golden Rule' mayor
of Toledo, running for governor, polled more
v,tes in the city of Cleveland than Nash (Rep)
and Mclean (Dem.) combined. This was the
result of the foreign-born voters uniting.
Since he made his speech at the Union League
Club in 1900, many things have occurred to
vindicate Senator Hanna's judgment as to the
dangers an adherence to the old methods would
bring to capital. In San Francisco, a union