The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-23
WEALTH AND THE PRESIDENCY
Money Not Necessarily an Ele ment In the
Success or Failure of "A Candidate.
From tho Na,v Vorix cup

Money Not Necessarily an Ele ment In the
Success or Failure of Candidate.
From the New York Sun.
In one of the vaudeville entertain
ments popular a few years ago one of
the performers first used, with great
success, this expression: There is no
use talking; most of these rich persons
are wealthy" similar conclusion
was long ago reached by some poll
ticians who objected to candidates.
either affluent in circumstances or pos
sessed of what some English novelists
have called "a modest competence"
In the early years of the republic. when
party feeling ran much higher than IL
does to-day and presidential campaigns
protracted for six months or more, were
made up largely Of an interchange of
personalities between the two parties,
the possession of wealth by a candidate
was regarded as a sure indication of his
unfitness, and the absence of wealth
was by many citizens looked upon as a
clear title to their earnest and vigorous
support. The claim was frequently
made by excited adversaries that a par
ticular candidate, running on the oppo-
sition ticket, designated or intended Ito
buy himself into the presidency"
significant reminder of the old-time
style of politics. now generally accepted
as obsolete except in remote populist
localities, was furnished recently by the
letter of Senator Cullom of Springfield,
ILL.,, who is a candidate for the repub-
lican nomination for the presidency.
In some outward points at least the ca
reer of Mr.. Cullom bears some resemb-
lance to that of Abraham Lincoln. the
first republican president. Mr. Cullom
resides. as did Mr.. Lincoln when nomi-
mated, at Springfield. Cullom, like Lin
coin, was born in Kentucky, and his
parents removed from that state to
Illinois. Both were lawyers by pro-
fession, and both republicans More
over. Mr.. Cullom, who is now senior
senator from Illinois. bears a strong
personal resemblance to Mr.. Lincoln;
but there the similarity ends. Mr.. Gull
lom is a candidate for the presidency
and in answer to a Letter sent him the
other day, this is what he wrote:
Il am very poor, having no money to
spend in the campaign for nomination
or election, and l would not solicit
financial aid If by so doing / could Sc
cure the office"
The truth of the mater is that presi-
Dental candidates nowadays do not re-
quire any larger sums of accumulated
wealth than did their predecessors of
many years ago. and the question of a
candidates wealth or poverty has
really nothing to do with his canvass
Governor Mckinley. IL is well known
has but recently gone through bank
ruptcy. Mr.. Reed is not wealthy man,
neither is Senator Allison. Governor
Morton, on the other hand, is a man of
very large wealth, as was Senator Sher-
man, a conspicuous figure in republican
conventions for many years. Benjamin
Harrison was not a rich man when
nominated, nor was Mr.. Cleveland
when put up for the first time in 1884,
though he is said to be a very wealthy
man now. In the convention Of 1880
the last democratic convention in which
there was any serious controversy
among the candidates. all three-Mr.
Bayard. General Hancock and Mr.. RAN
dall-were poor, and there is no pres
ent indication in either party that any
candidate will be nominated either at
ST. Louis or Chicago on account of his
wealth or because of his lack of il
The expenses OF a presidential cam
paign ere unquestionably very large:
but very little. If any. of the burden
falls upon the candidate. and the pre-
liminary expenses are met usually by
those Of his supporters. in their respect
i've states. who are financially indie
pendent.