The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-06-13
Personally Went Through coun-
try With Plenty of Money
to Boost M'KinIey
BY RODNEY BUTCHER

BY RODNEY BUTCHER
Copyright. 1892. NEA Service, Inc.
washington, June 13.-Mark Hanna
one of the most powerful and effective
OF American political bosses, decided
that his friend, William B. Mckinley
must not be left at the mercy of 6
group OF machine politicians conniv.
ing in a smoke-filled hotel room.
So he went personally through thu
country, with plenty of money ane
plenty Of promises. and signed ur
enough little bosses and delegates tc
insure McKinleys nomination by the
Republicans in 1896.
Then he decided that election cam
paigns should be put on a business
basis. He raised millions of dollars
chiefly from corporations who felt
McKinley's election was their best bet
AS a result he elected Mckinley over
Bryan.
1t was one of the most amazing
single-handed performances ever seen
Hanna had retired in 1894 from his
business in coal and iron to engage
in politics with the sole aim of elect
ing Mckinley.
He has been pictured as ruthless
plutocrat who lusted for power and
debauched politics. Yet he was hon
est and generous and. for his time,
enlightened. He believed that politi-
cal parties must be cut to fit an in
dustrial civilization.
x X X
Hanna had been business man
who was always active in public af-
fairs, serving first on various political
committees in Ohio and Cleveland.
He learned about hotel room nomi-
nations and dark horses who beat
favorites in the two decades before
he nominated Mckinley.
James G. Blaine had twice as many
delegates as anyone else in 1876, but
it was known that he couldn't win if
his enemies could combine the favor
lite sons against him. The New York
and Pennsylvania bosses were sworn
to defeat him.
Secretary of War Cameron headed
a Pennsylvania delegation instructed
for Hartranft. but the delegates were
itching to vote for Blaine. At a con-
ference in Cameron's hotel room the
delegates agreed to stay with Hart
ranft as long as he gained. so some
southern delegates were bought up
and a few tossed to Hartranft on
each ballot.
The gas in the convention hall was
turned off just as balloting was about
to begin and the convention was rig
ged overnight.
BY the time the voting was over
Blaine had the votes of majority
but never on the same ballot.
Bob Ingersoll nearly made a presi-
dent with his famous 'Plumed
Knight" speech, but the break came
when Roscoe Conkling, the pompous
administration leader and boss OF
New York, threw his states 81 to
Rutherford B. Hayes. who was nomi-
mated in a seventh ballot stampede.
Hanna had gone as a delegate for
Senator John Sherman of Ohio in
1884 and 1888. James A. Garfield had
been Sherman's manager in 1880,
when the leading candidates were
Grant and Blaine, with deadlock
certain Conkling, again first of all
anti Blaine. led the Grant forces and
Garfield became floor manager of
the anti-Grant forces.
Such powerful eastern bosses rs
Tom Platt of New York and Matt
Quay of Pennsylvania also were
among the Grant forces, which tried
and failed to have the unit rule
adopted.
Garfield made such good impress
sion that after IS ballots the Blaine
forces began to swing to him over his
own protest and he was nominated.
X X
In 1888, when Sherman led the
field, Hanna had seen another dark
horse win Benjamin Harrison.
Sherman was blocked by the New
York leaders, especially Boss Tom
Plat.
In 1895, at time when it appeared
that the Republicans were sure to win
next year, Hanna began systematic
cally to weed out the boss candidates
and the favorite sons. He found that
the state bosses were all set to tie up
the convention, but he promised pa
tronage and used other persuasive ar
guments and soon had Ohio and half
a dozen other. states lined up for Nc
Kinley.
Speaker Tom Reed had been the
favorite until Hanna got going. He
was the Republican party's real lead
err. But Hanna's pre-convention CAM
paign was the most elaborate one
ever seen up to that time and Nc
Kinley won without struggle, al
though such bosses as Platt and
Quay held out to the end.
It became evident that Bryan had
real chance to win and Hanna, as
the new national chairman, threw
himself into a brilliant, expensive
campaign. He set out to educate the
country to the dangers of Organism"
and free silver He used 1,400 speak
orc opd 100 nm nm ,incaS of ltera .