The San Francisco call., 1904-02-23
PASSING OF HANNA CASTS
A GLOOM OVER THE SENATE {
Statesman Exercised Powerful Influence in Upper House
and His Fellow Members Were Shocked When He Died.
Senator Was Affab,e Man and Always Approachable
BY S. w. WALL.


TON, WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-The
shadow of the loss which the country
suffers in the death of Senator Hanna
was cast from almost the day he so
far acknowledged himself i'll as to
remain away from his place in the
Senate. He was then said to be suf-
fering only an indisposition following
an attack of the grip. The mere alb
sence of the strong figure, the knowl-
edge that he was not well, the faint
possibility that what was said as to
the trifiing nature of his sickness
might the true seemed to bear upon
the chamber and to be felt over all
It's deliberations. When he returned
from Ohio some weeks ago he was
not well. He had caught cold, he
said. He was seen in the Senate after
that only few times and for a few
hours. When there came to be con-
sultations of doctors and when finally
it was definitely announced that the
trif1ing indisposition had developed
into typhoid the great place that Mar
Gus A. Hanna held in mems minds and
mems affairs was made manifest. The
day before his death conflicting re-
ports, encouraging and discouraging
followed one another about the city.
GRIEF AT HANNA'S DEATH.
Senate and House adjourned very
early, having done almost nothing and
confessedly unable to do much except
RI xr.6o
latest report, and was it reliable. At
the Arlington Hotel, where the sick
man lay, the order of silence had been
in force for days, and its observance
became the more notable with the gath
ering crowd. For with adjournment
the lobby filled up and anxious friends
overran the house. Men moved about
with slow and careful step and spoke
in subdued tones and whispers. BulIe-
tins were posted at the clerks desk,
and every man maintained hope until
the late bulletins dismissed and finally
forbade it. Notwithstanding such
preparation the actual announcement
of death, the realization that Marcus
A. Hanna's place in affairs was perma-
nently vacant caused among these, his
associates, something akin to a sensa-
tion, panic. Many of them wept. One
of them, a Senator, gave way to unre-
strained grief, to sobs and tears, finally
collapsed and had to be led away to
his home. These are the manifestations
Of that which is not widely known
concerning Senator Hanna-the power
that he had to attract and hold men
to him with ties of friendship-affec-
PnfnyA +Ia
had but fairly emerged from the effect
of such a malignant Misrepresentation
as perhaps no other man had suffered.
Mr.. Hanna was one of the easiest
men to approach that 1 knew, and to
get an interview from-when he had
anything to say for publication" said
newspaper man who has looked down
on the proceedings of Congress from
the press gallery for many years.
when he had nothing to say he said
that he had nothing to say, and that
meant that the interview was ter
minated. There was never any nonsense
about Hanna of any kind whatever. He
was always direct and to the point. If
he had anything to say he would give
you the time necessary to say it, and
Washington but would swear by Han
ma. He could be abrupt and blunt, but
the impression was carried that it was
because his time was valuable. 1 never
saw him idle minute.
SENATOR A BUSY MAN.
I'm the Senate chamber if he wasn't
listening to some other member he was
busy all the time. l never yet have
seen him in the attitude of twirling his
thumbs. When Hanna first came to the
Senate it was with the reputation of
successful business man and a great
political manager. We were all inter
ested as to what figure he would cut
in statecraft. Everybody knows what it
has been. 1 saw him when he first rose
to address the Senate. Oratory was an
entirely untried field with him, and it
was somewhat late to develop such an
accomplishment. 1t was with consider
able diffidence that he made his first at
tempt, but he soon came to be recog-
nized as one Of the readiest debaters
on the floor, quick to avail himself of
every fair advantage and to minimize
the points of his adversary.
But Senator Hanna was not the ab-
rupt and gruff man that this single
view might make him appear. He was.
in fact. a joker and his house, until
the i'll health of his wife prevented, was
noted for its hospitality and cordial
entertainment. His last public appear
ance was at a session of the Gridiron
Club. The Gridiron Club is a bohemian
affair, largely composed of newspaper