The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-11
INCIDENTS IN
HANNA'S LIFE

Proudest Achievement Part He
Had In McKinley's Election.
H0PEFULNEss OF LATE SENATOR.
How He Kept His Word With Roscoe
Conkling ON . Railway Journey.
Joke Played ON Hanna W Genera
Dick-Why He Detested
bile-His Last Words = Jest ut His
wife.
The late Senator Marcus A. Hanna's
proudest achievement, in his WI esti-
NATION, was the part he took in Will
ham McKinley's election, says a Wash
tngton dispatch to the New York Trib-
une.
"About two years ago, not quite that
Tong" he said near the end of 1896 be-
fore the Union club Of Cleveland, Il
began nv work Of love and devotion to
our chief. Two years ago l took from
him my inspiration. When he laid up
on me that confidence and said to me,
my friend, l trust you with my future
he also said, Mark, there are some
things l will do to be president of the
United States, and I leave my honor In
your hands, I embarked on that duty
with a full heart for a man whom l
loved because l had learned to- respect
and honor him. 1t was a mission OF
love inspired by that noble character
which has no peer in this world. When
I took charge Of McKinley's honor |
ewore to my Maker that I would re-
turn it unsullied. And when I returned
from that memorable convention,
proud and satisfied with the work his
friends had done, I went to Canton n
laid my report at the feet Of my chief
thin. and 1 said to him, Mckinley, l
have not forgotten the trust, and l
bring 1t back without a blot and not a
single promise to redeem I think /
have a right to feel proud Of that, be-
cause in the succession Of the admins
tration from Lincoln's time to h pres
emit era no nan ever enjoyed that privi-
lege before
remember you? OF course 1 remem-
Der you. Men in politics who keep their
words are SO scarce that when l ma
one 1 do not forget him."
These words were spoken by Roscoe
Conkling Of New York to Mr.. Hanna
when they met in a national conven"
ton. The explanation was a very good
index to the success that had attended
the Junior Ohio senator in all his work,
business, social and political. He had
always kept his word.
Conkling's remark brought to MT
Hanna's mind their last previous meet
ing ten a before out in Ohio during
the Garfield campaign. General Gar
held was then at Mentor, a little town
some thirty miles from Cleveland. Mr.
Hanna. who was even then somewhat
Of a figure in state politics, was very
desirous of bringing about an interview
between the candidate and Conkling
~ am afraid I'll not have time" sale
Conkling as they stood In the Cleve
land station. II must be back here a
g o'clock to catch the New York train
"Ill bring you back here at g." sale
MI. Hanna.
Very much against Conkling's better
Judgment, they took the little accom-
mediation train that made its irregular
way at irregular intervals to Mentor
The matter that Mr.. Hanna was solicit
Gus about was satisfactorily adjusted
and they got back to the Mentor sta
ton from the Garfield home at abou
5:15 o'clock. The train was due In fv
minutes; but, as it was a slow one
there seemed the very greatest likel1
hood in the world that it would neve
get back to Cleveland in time to ALLOW
the senator to make the New York cor
nection. Mr.. Hanna, however, wa
not at all put out and in spite of tn
fretting of the New York senator pre-
served his good nature and hopefulness
AS soon as the train drew in, on tim
for a wonder, Mr.. Hanna ran up to til
locomotive and jumped into the cal
Slipping a bin Of goodly size into tn
engineers hand, he exclaimed: "Her,
we've got to get into Cleveland befor
% y CAOCA. - yOu uoA Wv ~ "AO
you into the lake."
The engineer was not thrown int
Lake Erie. Senator Conkling had plel
ty of time to catch his train for Me-
York and for ten years thereafter pr
served a warm corner in his heart #
the determined Ohioan.
Last fall during the .campaign tn,
81, resulted in Senator Hanna's r%e-electio
the mir of "Hiawatha" was going II
rounds, and every campaign ban
walled it at almost every crossroai
stop. Finally, with General Dick, b
secretary, Elmer Dover, and two
three other prominent Republics
wheel horses, the senator's car slowe
I'm at a little hack woods meeting Mac