The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-06-30
SAYS HANNA BOODLED.
Lincoln SteGens Touches Up History
OF Ohio Politics.

u
OF Ohio Politics.
New York, June 24.-LincOln Stef-
fens contributes TO McClure's Maya
zine for July "OhiO, a Tale OF Two
Cities a story dealing with CIeve-
land, the best governed city in the
United States with Tom" 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 Marx Hanna, United
States senator and the most prOmin-
ent chairman the republican national
committee ever had, Mr.. Stefens says:
AS a business man Ia politics, ne
corrupted politics Mr.. Hama bO06-
led. He degraded the municipal leg
fsIature Of Cleveland. I don't say he
did it alone; I don't say ne started it;
I don't say ne wanted to do that. All
Mr.. Hanna 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 have them, and since the
business way to get a thing is TO go
and pay for it and get il, Mr.. Hanna
went and got his privileges. He
bought and paid for them. I don't
say he paid all this IN brides, nor do
I say that he paid brides with his own
hands. That isn't the way a Big Bust
ness man does big business. That
isn't the System"
Steffen's interview with Boss Cox
furnishes the key to the government
Of Cincinnati as he found it In Gin
cinnati," he says, Immediately after
breakfast I sought out the sign Of the
Mecca saloon, and went up one fight
to a mean little front hall bedroom.
A great hulk Of a man sat there alone
porting over a newspaper with his
back to the door. He did not look up.
Mr.. COx?' said
There was a grunt; that was all.
Mr.. Cox, 1 said, I understand
that you are the boss Of Cincinnati
His feet slowly moved his chair
about and a stOIid face turned to
mine. Two dark, sharp eyes studied
me, and while they measured I ex-
planned that I was a student Of poll
tics, corrupt politics, and bosses. I
repeated that I had heard he was the
boss Of Cincinnati Are yOu2' I con-
cluded.
I am he grumbIed in his hoarse,
thrOaty voice.
of course you have a mayor and
a council and judges2
Yes he admitted, but he
pointed with his thumb back over his
shoulder to the desk-T have a teIe-
phone. too
1T doesn't matter whether the leg
islature 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. The
plain, undeniable open facts are that
that legislature Of 1886 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 1898 In other words,
this man who, by his eIOqUence, won
the faith Of his people, betrayed them
for some reason to those interests
which were cOrrupting the govern
ment in order 10 get privileges from
IL That's all any electors need to
know about Joseph b Foraker, that
and the report that he hopes some
day to be president OF the United
States"