Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-19
HANNA's HOPEFUL VIEW.
Thinks the Business Men are Mistake,

Thinks the Business Men are Mistaken
 About the Labor Unions.
 'Within week most off these labor troubles will be st an end," said Seua- tor Hanna, yesterday afternoon, just before starting for his home, in Cleve- land. .>
 "It is true that they look pretty bad just now, and I am not surprised that the business men of New York, and of the whole country for that matter, are a good deal wrought up over the labor outlook. But if they know what 1 know they would feel less uneasiness. The subway men are gradually going back to work, and unless we are dis appointed by all the indications of to- day, the building trades troubles will all be adjusted in a few days.
 ''The situation throughout the coun- try is improving, too. These troubles are regrettable and annoying,of course, but we should be thankful that strikes in the great industries and upon the railroads are not paralyzing commerce.
 ,'I have just come from down town, and every one I met was talking about the menace or laDOT duu Iuc tant demands of unions.
 "To hear some of these business men talk you would think labor troubles were new things and the country was going to the dogs. Nearly all the mon I talked with held the opinion that the unions were becoming more and more reckless; that they were falling under the control of desperate and unprincf- pied men; that the solid, industrious workingmen in the unions were forced to take a back seat, while the profes- sional trouble maker was at the front. But I say this is not true. not only think 1t is not true, but know 1t is not true.
 "The most distinctive and signif- cant tendency in organized labor in the United States today" continued Senator Hanna, lis toward the making of only reasonable demands. Why, l know of cases where national officers have threatened to take the charters away from local unions if they per- sisted in making demands which seem ed unjust.
 "Why, down in Wall street there are men who think we are going to have a revolution in the country. who think the laboring men have taken the bit in their teeth and are running amuck.
 Business and the people in general should remember that there are two sides to this question. No, one need be surprised if labor asks for higher wages for its share of the general pros perity. The cost of living has in creased, as every head of a family in the country knows. Prices are high. "These advances hit the workman more in proportion than people with larger incomes or independent means, and the only way he can break even is in receiving an advance of his wages Downtown to-day business men told me had taken the labor side till the workmen seemed to think all they had to do was to start up strike and Mark Hanna would come along and see that they got what they wanted.
 'I take these criticisms good -natur- edly. In reply say there were labor troubles before I came on the scene and that I am afraid there will be la Dor troubles after I have passed away. Seriously, my reply to the criticisms that the Civic Federation is doing more harm than good is this: Within the last few years we. have settled five strikes in New York and vicinity, to say nOth. ing of what we have done in other parts of the country.
 T heard of man today" added Senator Hanna, laughingly, "who said l that Mark Hanna was at one time his choice for president, but since he had gone so deep into the labor business Hanna's goose was cooked and he could not be president. I told my friend to tell this man I had never been a candidate for the presidency and never would be; that what I had tried to do in the way of bringing about better relations between capital and labor was the result of conviction and had no politics, no -demagogery no self-seeking in it, and that as@lons as I thought I could be of any value to the cause proposed to continue my modest efforts in spite of all criti l cisms."-New York Herald.