Men of Wealth (1944) - Ludwig von Mises Institute

398 MEN OF WEALTH
to make its profit, and the bigger the profit the better for the country.
Workmen were proteges who should be dealt with benevolently.
Loyalty to friends, right or wrong; a profound respect for the power
of money to achieve its ends, and a willingness to use it as well as
all the other recognized implements of political warfare, made up
the balance of his creed. Hanna was not always a cautious man. He
could explode with wrath at inopportune moments. McKinley was
the soul of caution. Moreover he resolved every action into one of
high moral ingredients. If he refrained from doing anything because
it was inexpedient he could give his omission the appearance of a
personal sacrifice. Hanna came to be very fond of McKinley and
this deepened soon after into a genuine affection for the rising congressman.
Hanna was sure now that John Sherman could never be named.
He was also convinced that McKinley could have been named with
a proper drive behind the effort. He had no notion of relinquishing
his one ambition—to name a President—and he resolved to devote
himself henceforth to bringing about the nomination of McKinley.
Harrison was elected by a narrow squeak, the popular majority
going against him. And immediately the Cleveland coal and iron
man went doggedly about pushing the interests of his new candidate.
He went to Washington to promote McKinley's race for
Speaker. But Thomas B. Reed, a stronger man than the Major,
could not be beaten. Reed named McKinley chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee and thus his name was given to the ill-starred
tariff measure that would bring defeat to his party, sweep him from
Congress, but in the end force McKinley to the top as the logical
candidate of the Republicans in 1896.
Framing the McKinley bill made one of the most disgraceful
chapters in the history of national legislation. McKinley called in
the various special interests to be favored and told them to write
out their own schedules. Advice was asked of no one else. Even so
orthodox a protectionist as Blaine drew back from the surrender.
He warned his party in Congress. But there was no favor which
Big Business could ask that seemed exorbitant. When the next elec-