The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-02-19


until, in the spring of 1895, he finally
essayed the task of securing Mckinley
delegates for the national convention held
in st. Louis the following year. How
thoroughly success crowned his splendid
efforts by the sweeping nomination of
the man who became his hero, needs no
|recounting.
1t was only by the strongest personal
effort that President Mckinley prevailed
senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the
selection of John Sherman as secretary
of state. In 1897 he was appointed Unit
ed States senator by Governor Bushnell
of Ohio, and to this seat he was elected
in 1898 for both the short and long
terms, and in January of this year was
elected.
Mr.. Hanna was always true friend
of labor During a prostration in the iron
industries, when all the mines in the
Michigan region were shut down and the
miners families were in distress, his
mine was kept running, and over $780,
900 tons of ore piled up on the docks,
in order to give employment to the men
and support to their families.
At one time a superintendent was
about to introduce two large steam
hoists and shovels for unloading vessels,
but as soon as Mr.. Hanna heard of the
matter he ordered the machines away,
saying that the men were brought there
to do the work, and their families neede5
the wages.
While the opposition tried to make it
appear that he was an enemy of labor,
he did not permit such efforts to disturb
his equanimity. He had the assurance of
a clear conscience and of the fact that
his own employees were with him, be-
cause of the good understanding that had
always existed between them and him
self. That the good opinion held of him
by his employees has extended to all
wage workers in the nation would have
been prime factor in the campaign, had
he lived and become a candidate for the
presidency. A notable instance of the
cameraderie between his men and him
was shown at the time of the Cleveland
railway strike in 1899, when his en-
ploves refused to enter into it, because,
as they said, they had no grievance, were
well treated and satisfied. Again, in
1862 the Hanna properties were the
only ones in which there was no trouble
during the coal miners strike.
As the head of the Civic Federation
he had done good work in bringing to-
gether the antagonistic elements in wage
disturbances, and not the least sincere
mourners for the dead senator will be
the wage earners of the country whose
bitterest enemy he was declared to be
but few years ago.
Mr.. Hanna, upon entering the senate,
at once took commanding position,
both by reason of his intimate rela-
lions with President Mckinley and by
his own forceful character. His posi-
ton as chairman of the national Repub-
lican committee through two campaigns
gave him hold on the machinery of the
Republican party which he used effective
ly and unselfshly for the partys good
Another distinguished American citi-
zen has returned his soul to the God who
gave it.
| Although the death of Senator Marcus
A. Hanna was not unexpected, neverthe-
! less the news of his passing away came
| as a shock to the people, who held the
gentleman from Ohio in high esteem be-
cause of those attributes which make
men great and entitle them to the ad-
miration of their fellows.
Mr.. Hanna was a great man in many
ways. He was not brilliant in the same
sense that we speak of Lincoln, Clay,
| Webster, and other statesmen who have
left behind them priceless heritage,
but he possessed a mind broad and COM
prehensive, quick to grasp and wrestle
with knotty problems. Mr.. Hanna was a
business man, one whose keen intellect
made him the master of complex stu
alton. Until 1896 Mr.. Hanna was COM
paratively unknown outside of the state
of Ohio. He was manager of Mr.. Nc
Kinley's campaign for the presidential
nomination, and in the performance of
this duty he displayed skill that was
remarkable and caused the political
leaders of the day to wonder at his
consumate ability. Later as the chair
man of the Republican national commit
tee Mr.. Hanna conducted two presiden-
tial campaigns that brought into play
that wonderful executive ability which
made him so much admired. During the
campaign of 1896 Mr. Hanna was car
TONED and pictured as a monster. His
appearance before the public, however
set at naught all this exaggerated work
of the cartoonists.
Mr.. Hanna was true friend, wise
counsellor and man who was free from
demagogism. He was leader of men
an exponent of American ideas-in fact
he was himself typical American gen
tleman, one whose integrity was un
impeached, personal character unsul
lied and a life that was such as to in
! e,,;,o x,o,,nnor mon to follow in IFS foot