The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-07
DETERIORATION OF rHE SENATE.

A correspondent wants to know why
it is that the caliber of men in the pub
lie service has detsriorated 80 greatly In
the last quarter OF q century, and illus
trates his assumption by comparing the
men who now hold seats in tho United
States senate with the intsllectua
giants who sat there when Clay
Webster. Seward, Calhoun. Douglas
McDougall. Benton and men OF that
transcendent class were members
of our august deliberative body. He
might have gone farther and said that
the intellectual status OF the house o.
representatives is far below what it wat
ageneration ago. In other departments
OF the public service, however. the de-
terioration has not been so apparent Of
in the Legislative houses.
We may assume it as q fact that pub
lie men men who have long since been
removed from the theater OF their tri-
umphs are always rated higher in the
scale OF wor tn and ability by posterity
than they were by their contem poraries.
Their lame grows greater and sweeter as
they recede into past history. But
making due allowance for this, it is
universally conceded that the senate has
greatly deteriorated from its former
proud position, and recent scandals in
connection with the tariff bill open to
us picture of looseness of moral prin
ciple-to use no harsher expression
that could not have been parallsled in
the DAYS when the senate was the pride
and glory Of the republic.
There Is no lack OF smart or able men
in the senate now, but the trouble ia
that that body has been invaded by a
class who more nearly represent the
money getting spirit of the age than
they illustrate the highest intellectual
and moral attributes OF our best people.
This is due to the fact that some of the
grown into speculative and mercenary
corporations, and that those interests
are more especially represented in that
body than the general interests OF the
great mass of the people. The sal
mighty dollar" has combined and organ
lied to rule the country, and the million
aires and their attorneys have come sue
cessfuliy to the front in the halls OF
national legislation.
In former years the incentives to pub
lie life for gifted men were far more al
Turing than they are now. The salaries,
compared with the rewards to be
achieved in private life, were not go
conepicuously wide apart as they are
now; and, therefore, with the added
allurements of the opportunity public
place opened formerly for the achieve
ment of national fame, a senatoria
career became tie aim OF nearly all OIL
our brightest intellects. New the salary
is OF no weight whatever with our ablesl
professional men. A lawyer, like Web.
ster, can now make more in one year
from his practice than he could save in
a lifetime from his salary as a senator.
The great corporations have entered
the field against the government to bring
TO their service the best ability of the
country. They hang up prizes for bright
men which the government cannot be.
gin to hold out to them. A leading cor
poratien lawyer net infrsquently has a
retaining salary IS great ss that OF the
president Of the United States, and it
would be very mediocre member Of tho
bar who could not realize from his pri-
WI 70 /
could get as member of the house of
representatives. These places therefore
are left open to class Of msn far in
ferior to those who in the past sought to
fill them. Our highest order OF intellect
has been switched off into more alluring
and more remunerative grooves; and
when We casually find in the senate O
man OF mark who has made great rep.
utation as an operator, a fIancier or q
corporation lawyer, we take it for granted
that he is there for business or inter.
ested purpose. Nor are we often de.
ceived.
We do not believe that the days oil
great men have passed away, and that
we have less material now than we had
formerly out of which men of SURPRISING
ability are made; but the times are moi
propitious Tor their selecting the public
service as the road to greatness.
The opportunity exists now as 1t did
in the past for able men to make great
regulations in the councils of the nation
but they have found more attractive and
remunerstive fields for the exercise O.
their talents than the public service az
fords. There is no lack OF Websters anc
Clays in the country, but we shall lool
for them in vain in the theater where
the great originals Numbered forth theil
words of burning eloquenes, and gave Il
the country the benefit of their trans
cending powers OF statesmanship.