Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-01-17
MEN OF MONEY.
Predominancc OF Wen of Money in
the United states senate.

I ate is rapidly becoming an ongarchy
of millionaires and corporation attor-
neys is one that is growing in force,
and with each congress is more and
more borne out by facts. The old day
OF poverty and craftsmanship, intel
lect and patriotism, in the Senate. are
passing away. The Clays and Web
sters and Summers of the past have
been superseded by the Fairs, the Nil
lers aud the Bowens. The man of
millions, the corporation agent and
the business man hold sway States
mauship and brains are at a discount,
and money and moneyed interests are
the ruling influences in shaping legis-
lation and defining government poll
cieS, Under such system IT is not
strange that men who are not rich
can no longer get into the senate, nor
that those who are there cannot re
main poor. The spirit of homegrown
ing fills the AIR of the chamber and
ledyens the lump of legislation. Some
idea of the extent to which the senate
has passed under the control OF wealth
and corporate influence may be had
from a glance over the list OF the
seventy-six senator's, fifteen are known
to possess wsalth approaching mil
lion, or more The Messrs. Miller, of
CALIFORNIA;; Bowen, of Colorado {;
Brown, of Georgia; Allison, of Iowa
Hale, of Maine; Sabin of Minnesota /;
Palmer, of Michigan; Fair, of Neva-
da; Pendleten, of Ohio; Sherman, of
Ohio; Cameron, of Pennsylvania
Malone, of Virginia; Sawyer of Wis
consin; Aldrich, of Rhode Island
and Dolph, Of Oregon. With the
exception, perhaps, of Fair and Bowen
who got theirs in mining, and Hale,
whose wife inherited million from
her father, Zach. Chandler, the ma
iorlty of these millionaires have be-
come rich by corporate affiliations, or
monopoly advantages. A few enter
ed the senate poor and have become
millionaires through legislative and
other opportunities.
HERE THE NnLLIoNAIREs.
Sherman is the most conspicuous
example of this class of fortune. AS
secretary of the treasury, and as chair
man of the committee ON finance, he
has had the luck to see his possessions
accumulated with Midas like facility.
His funding operations, while secre-
tary of the treasury. and his connec-
ton with the First National bank of
New York. through which those gigan-
tic operations were carried on, are
known the length and breadth of the
land.
Miller of California, owes his mil
lion to the formation of the Alaska
Commercial company, which enjoys,
by means OF its lease from the United
States government, the great sealskiu
monopoly of the world. There was no
business talent, no hard work, no
sleepless nights, no anxieties in the
AGGRESSION of that million. Once the
lease was signed the monopoly of
capturing seals was secured and the
fortune was as good as made.
Brown, of Georgia, is the railway
monopolist of that state, and with
him countless others, the road to
wealth led over steel rails at limited
express speed. 1t has all come from
the people with scarcely the cost of
effort.
Fair and Bowen dug their wealth
out of the earth. Their millions, it
would seem, made them fit for the
senate.
Allison, of Iowa became a million
airc through the building of the
Union Pacific railway, of which he
was long q government director.
Sabin, of Minnesota, has been a
keen Spectator and an active bust
ness man. He is another whose states
manship and capacity as a publicist
were not discovered until lac had got
his million.
Palmer, of Michigan, and Sawyer,
of Wisconsin, are both the product OF
great Northwestern lumber business.
American lumber interest has created
at least two millionaires for the sen
ate
Cameron, of Pennsylvania, and
his father before him have both been
enriched by corporate affiliations
Miller, of New York, is known as
the wood-pulp millionaire.
Aldrich, of Rhode Island is the
representative of the Providence man
ufacturing interests
MIGHT AS WELL BE.
But it is not necessary to be mil
lionaire himself for senator to be
elassed with the millionaire influence.
There are senators who are Just as
much creatures of wealth, who
are Just as much under its domino.
ton, as though their own vaults Were
stuffed with bonds and securities.
The attorneys of corporations, the
slaves of moneyed influences, are al
most as numerous as the millionaires,
and they are often far more potent in
advancing the influence of the class
they serve than members of the class
itself
Farley, of California, is an attorney
and the paid servant of the Central
Pacific company.
German, of Maryland, is a dire ctoi
in the Chesa peake & Ohio Railroad
Company, and the tool of Hunting
ton.
Dawes and Hoar Of Massachusetts
are both defenders of corporations,
and both rich.
Sewell, of New Jersey, is an &C
knowledged attorney Of the Pennsyl-