The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-16
SENATOR MARCUS A. HANNA.

= ENATOR HANNAs DEATH re-
- moves from national life one Of the
strong characters of his day, and re-
moves from the councils Of his party
its most capable director 4 brief re-
view OF his career is Of interest TO any
student OF the causes which contrib
ute to individual success and political
distinction.
NLr. Hanna's business career was Of
a type common in America. Born in
Ohio in 1887, his parents We're in mod
crate circumstances and were able to
give him a good education. first in the
public schools and then in Western Re
serve college, one Of the best of the in
land institutions. In Cleveland he be-
gan business life as a clerk in a whole
sale grocery, and worked his way to the
front rapidly, becoming a partner in the
business. In 1857, when he was 50
years old, he sold out his interest and
went into coal mining. From that it
was an easy step into various indus
tries allied with his mining business,
and he died worth several millions.
So far his career was not unusual. In
1896, however, he undertook the nom
ination OF Mckinley for the presidency,
and developed the skill as q political
manipulation which astonished his as
sociates and COMPOUNDED his political
enemies. While he was not the first
man to use money extensively in Amer
lean politics. he was practically the
first to utilize it as a great business
man dOes-without regard to cost, and
looking only TO results. He might be
called the pioneer of commerciaHsm in
politics, since he believed in extrava-
giant political expenditure and system
atized the business of politics just as
he did coal mining or street railways,
or any other enterprise in which he
was interested.
In the campaign that followed Me
Kinley's nomination Mr.. Hanna played
on the fears Of the conservative bust
ness element so szilfully. and perhaps
sincerely, that he had unlimited means
at his hand for campaign purposes. His
friends avow that this money was spent
only in legitimate ways; his enemies
believe that corruption was part Of the
campaign programme, and that it won.
However that may be, every one con-
coded that Hanna's personal force and
ability contributed largely TO the over
yFhelming success Of his party. In 1900
the same methods and the same strong
personality effected the same result, 50
that Hanna achieved the unique dis
tinction of being the only manager OF
presidential campaigns who ever won
two victories in succession.
Mr.. Hanna might have had a cabinet
place or any other Office he wished un-
der the Mckinley administration. IN
stead. he preferred the senate, and ef-
fected the removal Of John Sherman
from that body by securing his appoint
ment to a cabinet position. His own ap-
pointment as senator by Governor
Bushnell followed, and his reelection
when his term expired. Here again
charges were made Of the corrupt use
of money, but Hanna secured an ac-
quittal in the investigation that fol-
lowed. IN the last campaign, where his
seat in the senate was an issue, he car
ried the state by the largest majority
it ever gave any party
Even Senator Hanna's bitterest op-
ponents concede his ability, his fair
ness in the personal relation of life and
the sincerity Of his political convic-
tons. His friends We're loyal with a
devotion almost beyond belief. and in
return he could be counted on to stand
by them always.
lie was an able business man, a good
fighter, a stauneh friend. he had the
partisan's faults and the partisan's
virtues. If ne leaves no record of great
achievement in political affairs aside
from his successes as q campaign man
ager. he leaves thousands OF friends TO
mourn his death, and he leaves q va
cancy in the fighting line Of his party
that viii be hard TO I'll.