The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-24
SAYS HANNA BOODLED.
Lincoln stenens Touches up History Of
Ohio Politics.

New York, June 24.-Lincoln Stenens
contributes to McClure's Magazine for
July .sOhio, a Tale Of Two Cities" Il
story dealing with Cleveland. "the best
governed city in the United States, %
with TON" johnson standing forth as
the reformer's ideal Of the business man
in politics, and with Cincinnati. the
worst governed city in the United
states" with Boss" George B. Cox
representing all that is basest in the
System"
OF the late Mark" Hanna, United
States senator and the most prominent
chairman the Republican national com
mittee ever had, Mr.. Steffens says:
AS a business man in politics, ne
corrupted politics. Mr.. Hanna bodied
He degraded the municipal legislature
of Cleveland. don't say he did ii alone
I don't say he started it; don't say he
wanted to do that. All MI hanna l1
wanted was that horse car line and
then some extensions, and then some
more franchises. But these he did want,
these and other valuable privileges
Since he wanted them, he must nave
them and since the business way to
get a thing is to go and pay for it and
get it, Mr.. Hanna went and got his priv
ueges. He bought and paid for them.
] don't say he paid all this in brides,
nor do I say that he paid brides with
Big Business man does big business.
That isn't the System.
Stenens interview with Boss Cox
furnishes the key to the government
of Cincinnati as he found it. In Gin
~inuaff" he saws. Immediately after
breakfast sought out the sign of the
Mecca saloon, and went up one hight
20 a mean little front hall bedroom.
A great hulk of a man sat there alone
poring over a newspaper with his
back to the door. He did not look up.
" Mr.. Cox2' I said.
There was a grunt; that was all
. Mr. Cox, said, I understand
that you are the boss of Cincinnati
"His feet slowly moved his chair
about and a stolid face turned to mine.
Two dark sharp eyes studied me, and
while they measured I explained that
Twas a studen of politics. corrupt
politics. and bosses I repeated that
i had heard he was the boss of Gin
cinnati Are yOu?' I concluded.
d" 4 am he grumbled in his hOarse,
throaty voice.
"'Of course you have mayor and
a council and judges?'
% Yes he admitted 'but-he point
ed with his thumb back over his
shoulder to the desk-I have tele-
phone, too.
"It doesn't matter whether the legis-
lature that made Foraker a senator
belonged to the traction company, or
whether the legislature that passed
the Rogers traction bill belonged to
Foraker" says Mr. Steffens. 1.-THE
plain undeniable open facts are that
that legislature of 1896 which elected
Foraker to the United States senate,
was led by the senator, a popular
leader, to pass, in the interest of the
traction company, a bill which grant
ed privileges so unpopular that public
opinion required a repeal in the next
legislature of 1888. In other words.
this man who, by his eloquence, won
the faith of his people, betrayed them
for some reason to those interests
which were corrupting the government
in order to get privileges from it.
That's all any electors need to know
about Joseph 3. Foraker, that and the
report that he hopes some day to be
president Of the United States"