The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-19
HANNA THE "KING.MAKER'
Francis &. Leupp's Book on "The Man
Roosevelt" Defines the Late Senator
Hanna's Attitude Toward the Presi-
dental Succession-He Made Presidents
But Didn't Care to Be sOne-What He
Would Have Done Had He Lived.

Washington, Feb. 19.--Francis E. Leupp,
Washington correspondent of the New
York Evening Post. has written a book.
1.-The Man Roosevelt which will attract
wide attention, not only from the ability
displayed by the author in the selection,
arrangement and presentation of his. sub
ject but because the subject matter is
timely. 1t does not pretend to be a, biogra-
ply; indeed there is nothing biograph-
ical about it. But it is much more inter-
esting than any mere biography could pos
l sibly be- An extended pen picture or
character sketch, written by one who has
been the presidents personal friend for
many years, and replete with anecdotes
and incidents throwing light on his many
sided charac ter. it admirably answers the:
purpose for which it was intended, and
will be read with great interest. ="
! Forlsthe present hour there is nothing
4 more interesting in the book than the
chapter which discusses the president and
the late Senator Hanna and Hanna's sup
posed desire to be president. Bearing in
mind that Mr. Leupp was in position to
have access to all the facts about this. as
vel as about the numerous other questions
4 of which his book treats, the Hanna chap
ter may be read with the full confidence
that it states with entire accuracy stu
alton which has been little understood by
the public at large.
The Leupp book will not be out until
:,
esy @of the author I have been
Z permitted to make extracts from it in ad-
+ vance of publication. Mr.. Leupp begins
. the presentation of the Hanna case by
, quoting from a letter which the president
wrote to a friend few months ago:
81 do not believe in playing the hypo-
E. crite,'' he said. ANY strong man fit to
, be president would desire a denomination
and recollection after his first term. Lin
coin was president in so great crisis
that perhaps he neither could nor did
feel any personal interest in his own re-
. election. I trust and believe that if the
crisis were a serious one I should be in
4 capable of considering my own well-being
for a moment in such a contingency. But
at present I should like to be elected presi-
dent just precisely as John Quincy Adams
or Mckinley or Cleveland, or John Adams
Or Washington himself desired to be elect
ed. 1t is pleasant to think that ones coun-
trymen believe we'll Of one But shall
. not do anything to secure my nomination
save to try to carry on the public. bust
: ness in such shape that decent citizens
! will believe that have shown wisdom, in
tegrity and courage If they believe this
= with sufficient emphasis to secure my
= nomination and election-and on no Other
/, terms can I, or would I, be willing to Sc
:, cure either-why, I shall be glad. If they
u do not T. shall be sorry, but shall not be
n very much cast down, because I shall fee
that have done the best that was in me
and that there is nothing have yet done
of which I have cause to be ashamed o.
y which 1 have cause to regret, and that
can go out of office with the profound sat
isfaction of having accomplished a certain
T. amount of work that was both beneficial
e and honorable for the country
: arr Mr.. Leupp's Comment.
It After quoting this letter, Mr. Leup
takes up his story as follows: -
substantially the same dea he ha
r expressed to others from the day he sue
y ceeded to the presidency. Yet the news
!, papers have never ceased figuring upon hi
Frelations with this and that party mag
" nate; and every time he has stirred Q
opened his mouth they have speculated j
- all seriousness on the way his second teri
~ aspirations would be affected thereby. c
& course, his competitors would be fror
x both the great parties: The republican
=, would contest the nomination with hin
- the democrats the election.
as "All the other republicans who had bee
ut regarded possible candidates up
1901 quilted the field, as Mr.. Shaw di,
when President McKinley's death left M
Roosevelt heir to the executive chat
lg Marcus A. Hanna Of Ohio was not one
70 them. He had never been counted amor
~ the presidential probabilities during Pres
ld dent McKinley's lifetime, the careers
i these two national figures being so blende
in in the popular mind that it seemed almo
DIS IL 4NI. W CAS GIL CcloS
presidency thru the proxy of his friend
at any rate, that all his own ambition
were satisfied in the honors heaped upt
the man he loved best. But with McRi1
Nv ley's fall the whole outlook changed.
:. all men, here was the one whom circun
y stances had most endowed with the c.
n pacity to carry out the dead president
eft designs. Roosevelt might try to- but Ha
- ma surely could. Not few polite
W prophets therefore contemptuous enout
be in disposing Of the potential candida
: of other notable republicans, paused VIII
"A they came to Hanna, and said perhaps
Moreover, Mr.. Hanna lent color
u. likelihood to this suspicion by making
an positive declarations to discredit it. TIT
NO when occasionally a, newspaper report
approached him on the subject of his r
~ ceiving the nomination for the presidene
IS he would shake his head and laugh
be the suggestion as an absurdity; but the