Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-14
NOT so RICH As RUM0s SAYS.
United States Senators Comfortably or Hut Minus PIethorIc POcketboOks.

Hut Minus PIethOrIc POcketboOks. Washington Letter in the New York Herald.l
 Considerable has appeared lately in the pa pers about the mil1ionaires of the Senate. An inaccurate idea exists therefore regarding that body of men. Senator Ingalls, once said in good humored way that the Senate was "a club of good, honest fellows" and he meant only that, taken by and large, the seventy odd members of the chamber were as creditable to the country as any equal nun Der of men that could be got together from the various States. He was doubtless right in that opinion, and I imagine that he did not desire to relegate to the Senate any claims to righteousness beyond those made by all respectable citizens. His remark, which he has been accustomed to repeating freely, undoubtedly gave the cue for the ex- pression, "The Millionaires' club" Let us look over the men from the gallery, assum- ing of course that all are in their places, which, it is sad to say, is taking purely po- etica1 license.
 Suppose we begin with Maine. Very we'll The first face we is that of Mr. Hale, who surely enough is rich man. His large means mostly came to hiraz from his father in-law, the distinguished Zachariah Chandler of Michigan. He lives comfor rtably, but without ostentation, and deserves the con- forts he enjoys. His colleague, Senator Frye, has only his salary and law practice to live on. He is an earnest hard working member and is young enough to make his fortune yet. Crossing over to New Hamp- shire we find that Senators Blair and Pike both live within their salaries. It is said that the former occasionally takes a timid flyer" in the real estate of his beloved at hnt in all I assured, with gratifying success. Both these men quiet modest men and their choice is creditable to the legislature of their State. In Vermont Senator Edmunds is probably the wealthiest member of the upper house from New England (exeepting Mir. Hale.) But he is lawyer of pre-eminent ability, and had he deserted politics ten years ago might have gathered in enough large fees in his profession to have made him very wealthy man indeed. He is not inordina.ely rich now. Senator Merrill throughout his long life has been economical in his habits, has saved reasonable amount of money, but is not even to be called rich.
 How is the outlook in Massachusetts. Not rich man! Senator Dawes is very poor. As 1 heard him say the other evening, he be- gan life as a farmers boy and had never known anything but toll and struggle ever since His colleague-Mr. Hoar-is to-day at a financial low water mark. What little means he had was recently lost in attempt ing to build home for his declining years at Worcester. Much sympathy Is felt for him by his fellow Senators. The old Monta- gues and Capulets of Rhode Island are not here any longer. Their places are filled by two men of moderate means. Senator Al drich is handsome as anybody on the floor. He is in trade at Providence-grocer- ies believe He attends to his duties care fully and systematically. Senator Chace is a qnieJ Quaker, who lives scrupulously and thn 1iroit of Platt and Haw1ey are almost too we'll known to need mention. The first is studious and active without large means, and the second is the editor and handspring of a Hartford newspaper. He is rich only in ability and friends, though he has made his journal an excellent property.
 Leaving New England the middle States may be briefly scanned. In New York Sen ator Miller is only relatively a wealthy man. He undoubtedly enjoys good income frQm his manufacturing plant and his patents. But his money was made before he went into politics, and his success is creditable in every sense. "Our Own Evarts' is rich only in his bright intellect. His capacity for exacting large fees is commensurate only with his tal- ents. But he las no great vested interests and his income must suffer greatly by his presence in the Senate In New Jersey Sen ator McPherson is fairly entitled to be called rich He accumulated his fortune by thor
 
 think he claims to be millionaire, but his friends assume that he is. His colleague, Senator Sewell, is a sturdy product of hard work. He is comfortably situated in life and no more. He owns pretty house in Cam den and manages the large railroad property entrusted to his care with shrewdness. Sen ator Mitchell of Pennsylvania is in very humble circumstances financially. He has no greed of money in his composition. Sen ator Cameron is worth probably two or three million dollars. His father was identified with many of the great improvements in his commonwealth, and during his long life gave his son and successor the benefits of his ex- perience and wisdom. The son is a shrewd business man and knows & safe investment when he sees it.
 Contentment is the main thing after all. Look at Senators Salisbury and Gray of Del aware. They dwell in a snug little State, where modest income is not held in disre- spect and where their salaries suffice to make them independent. Neither man is rich and neither has the taint of avarice in his blood. Senators German and E. K. Wilson, from the adjacent State of Maryland, are only comfortably fixed so far as the worlds goods go Neither can complain of poverty but they are far from the border lands of wealth as fixed, for example, by the Pacific coast or Fifth avenue
 Suppose we hasten westward. Both of Ohios Senators are very rich. There is no QlSpuGlHS LIldI 1dCG put uOW OI Senators Voorhees, and Harrison are not Cree suses by any means. "The Tall Sycamore" is rich in fund of humor as exhaustless as the asphaltun lake of Trinadad but money does not haunt his dreams his pockets. Harrison is good liver, A quiet, agreeable person, who warns up occasionally and deals hard political blows, but he is not rich Senators Logan and Culiom of Illinois come under exactly the same category. General Logan may be worth fifty or seventy-five thousand dollars, but not more. His public life is pure and untainted, and he owes his greatness not to any influence of money, but to his sturdy and imperious honesty. MT. Cullom resembles President Lincoln in other respects than facially. He is poor. A hard worker, he finds little time for social festivi- ties and less to accumulate wealth.
 The Northwest does not disclose to our sight any very rich men. In Michigan Sena- tor Palmer has accumulated fortune in the tobacco trade. It has been the slow work of years and the result of much chewing on the part of his well pleased customers; but Sen ator Conger is still poor and his devotion to the duties of his public life threaten to keep him so. Crossing the lake to Wisconsin we find two excellent specimens of the great Northwest. Senator Sawyer is rich above the average, but makes no parade of it. Senator Spooner has only his youth and his quick, bright talents as a lawyer to, earn his fortune for him. He lives on Capitol Hill quite near Senator Ingalls,, and gives his best energies to his constituents. He is-with Kenna of West Virginia-one of the really promising young men of the Senate. In Minnesota neither Senator count his wealth as greater than many of his neigh bors. Senator Allison of Iowa inherited large part of his wealth, but it is not fabu- ly la1tyn pflll