The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-16

time in calculating the distance to the
stars, but he figured on sugar and flour
and bacon. There were the practlcal
things of his daily life and Hanna al
ways was, is now. and always VIII pc,
intensely practical Today he knows
nothing of abstruse n metaphysical
questions and cares less. They are not
in his line. Ask him, however, the cost
of mining a ton of coal or OF iron ore,
and he will tell you to the fraction or
a cent.
What We're your wages as a clerk
in your ather's store?' Senator Hanna
was asked one day.
twenty-five dollars a month and
my board" he replied, laughing at the
recollection of the munificent sum.
Did you save anything out of it?"
"Oh, no." was the prompt response.
still laughing. Then his face changed.
tell you one thing" he said. ."If I did
not save anything out of that SIS. I did
not go into debt. No matter how small
or how large my. income, I have al
ways lived within it. One of the pre-
cepts which my father impressed upon
my mind was, Don't go in debt 1t
was good advice. OF course, I do not
mean thai I did not incur business OBJ
legations. That is mother thing. I
mean that so far as my personal ex-
been in debt. A man whose habits lead
him constantly into debt is terribly
handicapped"
The war came on and Hanna enlist
ed. He remained 100 days in the serv-
Ice. His theirs death compelled his
return home. Loyal, however, to the
union, he did what he could for the ma
ton n welcomed the return of peace.
He never doubted the outcome. His
mind was too clear and logical to
waver for a moment as to the per-
or the solidity of h United
States. He saw. too. that from the tur-
mol of war the country would emerge
to enter upon a greater destiny than
ever. He realized that with the set
tlement of h problem of slavery,
which had been h disturbing factor
in the national progress, there would
be no obstacle to steadily increasing
commercial development. Fortune ia
vored him by placing him where he
could take advantage of the rising tide.
When his father-in-law, D. P. Rhodes,
VINO mad established a firm for the pur-
pose OF engaging in the coal and iron
business. retired, Hanna took control
and built up the present enormous
business. The title of the firm is now
M. A. Hanna & Co" While still a
Junior partner, Hanna repeated his ex-
perleces of the grocery store. He
learned every detail of the business.
He knew as much about coal and iron
four. $500.
Ask the average man when Hanna
first entered politics. and you will be
told that he made his debut when. in
the early part of 1896. an organized
ton of William Mckinley for the office
of President of the United States. 1t
IS safe to SAL that not one man in a
can recall having heard the
name of Hanna before that time.
Yet, as a matter of fact, Hanna was
IN politics a third of a century oprn
To quote his own words, he "drifted
IN" He did not take to politics as a
duck takes to water, to use an express
sive phrase, because his mind was en-
crossed with business affairs. If he
knew who was h candidate for COM
NOR council in his ward or who was
anxious to go to the legislature, it was
merely because they were friends or
neighbors- One day. according to the
story, there came an awakening. AS
president of q national bank, he dis
covered that business conditions We're
Influenced by causes which he could
not explain. Like the. famous astron-
omer Leverrfer, who noticed perturba-
lions in the orbit of Uranus which We're
only to be accounted for by the pres
ence in the heavens of a then unknown
body and who rested not until he had
located the planet Neptune, Hanna be-
gan to look for the disturbing presence
in the business world. It was politics.
Never before had he realized the init
mate relations between the two.
Hanna had mastered business. He
knew every detail of commercial life.
Here was a new problem confronting
him. He began to study it, because
anything that affected business was
worthy of most thoughtful attention.
Today he is a master of politics. It is
simply the story of his life over again.
The first office for which Hanna was
a candidate was membership in the
board of education in Cleveland. This
was as long ago as 1870. It is needless
to say that he was elected.
Hanna's introduction to national pol
itics began in a rather interesting
fashion. Garfield had been nominated.
from the convention he stop
ped at Cleveland. A number of prom
inent Republican business men met
him. There was a conference. Hanna
suggested the organization of a bust
ness mems league. He wanted the
commercial world brought into closer
touch with politics. Previous to that
time there had been political organiza-
tions, such as the Wide-awakes, but
the bond of sympathy was purely par
tisan or sentimental. Hanna believed
he could find a stronger tie. He spread
the idea of his league and other cities
followed his lead. When the club parad-
ed in Cleveland he marched IN the
ranks and carried a torch. The cam
paign over, he went down with a thou
sand business men to Mentor to offer
his congratulations, and then returned
to his desk.
Hanna could no more be kept at the
bottom, however, than o can keep a
cork below the surface of the water.
In 1884, after serving his apprentice
ship, he went to a Republican national
convention as a delegate. Four years
later he was John Sherman's manager
at Chicago and the chairman of the
Ohio delegation. When Sherman was
defeated by Harrison Hanna went o n
the auxiliary committee which directed
the successful campaign and then went
back again to business. In 1892 he did
not believe thai Harrison could be
elected if nominated. Harrison was
named and defeated. Cleveland en-
tered the White House, and with his