Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-16
MARCUS A. HAN Ma
Sketch Of His Long and Active
Career.
HIS RISE IN POLITICS
GREAT SKILL AS A CAMPAIGN
MANAGER.
In the Senate He Became Noted for
Readiness In Debate and Was a
Forceful Speaker.
HIS RISE IN POLITICS

| Forceful Speaker.
| The career of Marcus Alonzo Hanna,
senator from Ohio, who died last night, has
been unique in many respects. In marked
degree it shows that there is no better
/ training Tor success In the world of politics
| and craftsmanship than the experiences
| gained in every day business life
| 1t may well be disputed whether Mr..
Hanna is entitled to be called States
man. in the generally accepted sense of
| that word. No one will question that as a
politician he was master of all that state
| craft which includes the faculty for or
| ganiza ton on a large scale, masterful
| handling of men, and above all a mind
capable of properly gauging public opinion
! and adopting measures for forwarding the
interests of his party He had the discern
ment of general who could see just where
| strength should be exerted. His policies
| were those of business man, and always
| bore on the industrial progress of the coun-
| try at large
II am in politics for the best interests of
the country through the fundamentally of
the republican party" said Senator Hanna
a. short time ago when his reasons for be-
| ing III politics were ulSCuSSGu
| AS political manager Mr.. Hanna pos
| sessed a directness of manner and lam
| guage that was very marked. He was
| brusoue at times and uncofhmunicative
| when he was not ready to talk of matters
| rela ting to the campaign, but men never
| accused him of insncerity of language nor
| thought of reading between the lines"
| when they wished to understand what was
in his mind. AS a rule. however. he was
ready and candid in discussing public mat
L In tir,, 20 tl,<a<n tr.c
public policies after he entered the Senate.
| He did not mince words. but always
Struck out from the shoulder''Ein what he
| had to say.
The element in the character of Mr.
Hanna that was best known was his ten
dency to stick to his friends" His OPP
1 position to the nomination OF Brigadier
| General Leonard Wood to be q major gen.
| eral was looked upon by senators as largely
| the result of his friendship for Mr.. Rath-
| bone who. he claimed. bad done no more
than had Wood. although he was made to
suffer for his acts. The fact that this was
looked upon as the real reason for his OPP
position to General Wood had much to do
with iessening his influence Id that respect
| in the Senate.
| IJntil past middle life Mr.. Hanna devoted
| all his energies toward the upbuilding of
! private fortune that finally allowed him to
rank among the rich men In country
| where riches are only counted by millions.
His Early Life.
| He was born in New Lisbon NOW LIS
| bon), Columbiana county. Ohio, September
| "A. 1887. His early life was that of boy
reared in the surroundings of small town.
where all the influences tended to self-reli-
ance and to Undue the youthful mind with
| the idea that success is gained through
1 well-directed endeavor. When he was If
teen years Of age he moved with his father
to Cleveland. which was to become the
| Scene of his husippss activities
The education of young Mark Hanna, as
| he was popularity known. was in the public
| schools Of Cleveland and in the Western
Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio His peo-
pie had come from the east and had settled
| in the western reserve in the days when 1t
| was one of the alluring parts of that new
west, in which men of courage and energy
| were tending.
The elder Hanna was the senior member
| Of the firm of Hanna, Garretson & Com
| pany, and Mark Hanna began his business
| career as an efnploye In that house. The
] father died in 1862, and the son represented
his interest in the firm until five years
| later when the business was closed up.
| Mr.. Hanna was a soldier during the war
| of the rebellion, being second lieuten-
| ant in the 150th Ohio Infantry. He came
| to Washington with his regiment and
was at Fort Stevens when Early made his
! attack on Washington in 1854 and was
repulsed. He was a member of Memorial
Post, G.. A. R.. of Cleveland. Ohio.
| Mark Hanna then became member of
the firm of Rhodes & Co.. engaged in the
iron and coal business. At the expiration
of ten years the firm name was changed
I, to NJ A. Hanna & Co.. which still exists
| There are few men who have had more
| extensive or more varied business interests
than Mr. Hanna. He has been identified
with the carrying business of the great
| lakes and in the construction of vessels
for that trade. He is president of the Union
National Bank of Cleveland and president
Of the Cleveland City Railway Company.
First Political Office.
Mr.. Hanna's first political office came to
him from the hands of President Cleveland,
who made him director of the Union Pa
cif1c Railway Company in 1885, Up to that
time Mr.. Hannas energies had been con-
| fined to the affairs Of his private business,
with the exception that he had always
been a stanch republican, although he had
never sought any position of leadership in
his party. AS director of the Union Pacific
he made very close friendships that were
to last throughout his life. One of these
was Francis E. Warren, later to become a
senator from Wyoming
In 1884, for the first time Mr. Hanna was
a delegate to national republican con-
| vention. He was again a delegate in 1888.
| He had been friend and adnirer of Will
lam Mckinley for many years, supporting
him IN his public career at all times. When
| Mr. mckinley became prominent In 1895 as
! a strong candidate for the presidency Mr..
Hanna was foremost in advocating his
nomina ton. and did all I'M his power to
bring 1t about He was a delegate to the
convention IN 1895. His strong friendship
for Mr.. Mckinley and Mr. McKanley's pref
erence for him determined his selection as
chairman of the national republican COM
| mittee. 1t was his MANAGEMENT of the
campaign Of that year that brought him so
| prominently before the public and marked
him as campaign manager of unusual
ability.
As Campaign Manager.
In the campaign OF 1898 Mr. Hanna had
the entire confidence Of the business inter-
| ests of the country. so that the campaign
fund placed at his command with which to
combat the Ideas that swept throughout
the country under the influence of Mr..
Bryan was practically limitiess. This large
fund permitted the chairman to distribute
campaign literature with a thoroughness
hitherto unknown.
During the entire period of this campaign
Mr.. Hanna was alert to every development
throughout tine country. directing the cam
paign In all its details n uas Mr. Hanna