Mark Hanna Quote Question

[Garson O'Toole]

Donna Halper on the Wombats list pointed out an important variant of
the quotation. The general form includes a sub-phrase such as: the
first is money, the second is money, and the third is money. Here is
an example in 1901 with a nod toward the political domain.

Cite: 1901, Richard Croker by Alfred Henry Lewis, Page 188, Life
Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books full view)

[Begin excerpt]
Some Socrates of carnage, and one profound of blood, once wrote,
"There are three things needed to wage successful war; the first is
money, the second is money, and the third is money." One may say as
much of politics.
[End excerpt]

http://books.google.com/books?id=H7sMAAAAYAAJ&q=%22second+is%22#v=snippet&

Many examples involve the expenses of war. Here is an example in 1870
from a different domain:

Cite: 1870 April 9, All The Year Round, Conducted by Charles Dickens,
The Great Magyar [In Four Parts, Chapter 1], Start Page 450, Quote
Page 451, Published by Messrs Chapman and Hal, London. (Google Books
full view)

[Begin excerpt]
One day (it was in the year 1825) the Diet of Presburg was engaged in
discussing the question of founding an academy for the cultivation of
the national language. "It is impossible," said one of the speakers,
"except by immense pecuniary sacrifices on the part of the great
proprietors. For the establishment of such an institution three things
are indispensable. The first is money, the second is money, the third
is money"
[End excerpt]

Here is a precursor in 1840:

Cite: 1840, Irish Life: In the Castle, the Courts, and the Country [by
Isaac Butt], Quote Page 109, How and Parsons, London. (Google Books
full view)

[Begin excerpt]
In this, as in many other things, there is one grand sine qua non,
which, like the great rhetorical resource of the orator of old,
deserves to be honored by a threefold repetition. The first thing is
money, the second money, the third money-like the inquisitive
strangers who pander to the bloated pride ...
[End excerpt]

Because of time constraints I only looked quickly in Google Books.

Garson


On Mon, May 14, 2012 at 10:18 PM,  <sclements at neo.rr.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       sclements at NEO.RR.COM
> Subject:      Re: Mark Hanna Quote Question
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Do you have anything before 1993?
>
> sam clements
> ---- "Shapiro wrote:
>> I have been asked about the source of the following quotation, often attributed to Mark Hanna:
>>
>> "There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can't remember what the second one is."
>>
>> Can anyone point me to early evidence of this quote?  Even apocryphal attributions would be of interest.
>>
>> Fred Shapiro
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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