Knew when to fold em
Colonel Green, the super-rich dilettante who ended up serving real science in several ways, had a short attention span. He tried out every possible way to have fun and exert influence with his inherited fortune. His first try was in Texas where he bought a short-line railroad and a flower farm and got into politics. He quickly moved to the top in politics because other politicians enjoyed the smell of his money.

But he clearly didn't enjoy the political game and wasn't suited for it. Here's a 1901 account from Tammany Times, the house organ of NYC Democrats. Tammany sounds just like CNN. Nothing new about partisan teams using dense insider jargon and heavy "irony". (Note that gas meant illuminating gas in 1901, not gasoline.)

At all events, shortly afterwards, when Hon. E. H. R. Green, the Republican boss of Texas, tried to shine at the White House, he discovered that somebody had shut off his gas, so he couldn't find his way to the pie counter. He was as much surprised as was the hayseed in the city hotel who used a match to start the electric light in his room.

In plain English, Hanna had queered Green with the President. Being no longer able to control the federal patronage for Texas, Green resigned the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, and thus the former Republican boss, like Tom Reed, Alger and other Republican cadavers, adorns a slab in our political morgue. Green got along all right as a wire-puller until he struck some of the barbed kind, which Hanna had placed where Green was so badly crippled up by it that he will not be entered at any future race for Congressional or other sweepstakes.

Now, when a Texan Republican seeks a federal appointment through the influence of Green, he discovers that he is whistling up the wrong tube. It seems to me that Green, who is Hetty's son, should have inherited enough shrewdness to know that Hanna has a way of dealing himself four aces whenever he deals his friend four kings. And the friend, generally, as in the case of poor Ned Green, doesn't find it out until Hanna has lifted the jackpot.

Politics is blackmail and extortion.

Fortunately for real science, and especially for science as entertainment, Green wandered into other areas where his talents and money were able to serve serious purposes and leave useful lifesaving legacies.

Personal sidenote: The Hanna genes didn't last either. When I was arrested for marijuana in 1969, my parents hired an attorney who was a direct descendant of Mark Hanna, believing he would be competent and influential. He was not. The Hanna legacy had regressed beyond the mean.

Historical sidenote: One thing has changed from 1901 to now. In 1901 the real powers in politics were publicly known and constantly mentioned in media. Mark Hanna was in charge of R, and Tammany Hall was in charge of D. Everyone knew who they were. Now Sheldon Adelson (recently and wonderfully defunct, but seamlessly replaced by his "wife") runs R, and Jeffrey Epstein (falsely believed to be defunct) runs D. Regular media never mentions these kingmakers, so "each" "side" is able to accuse the "other" "side" of conspiracy theories when the real powers are named.

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Graphics note: I really should do a tribute to Green to satisfy my sense of 'beautyduty', but I can't get a handle on the proper scope of the project. His radio station had a beautiful building, but the station itself was nothing special. I've already done a '30s station. His electric runabout was unique and expressive of his personality, but it doesn't seem like enough of a tribute to balance his significant contributions to real science.

Labels: Entertainment, Jail mode, Shared Lie

  ¶ 10:47 PM