Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25
"A Poor Mans Government .

Hon. Jonathan r. Dolliver, member
of Congress from Iowa, has an enter
tanning article in the last number Of
the Illustrated American entitled "a
Poor Mans Government and Poor
Boys Country" Mr.. Dolliver has had
excellent opportunity to acquire knowl-
edge on this subject for he has from
boyhood had to rely on himself and
has by his own efforts raised himself
to position of eminence in the legisla-
tive department of the Poor Mans
Government" and is well known
throughout the Poor Boys Country"
as one OF the ablest political orators.
1t was Mr.. Dolliver who likened the
recent attitude of the Democratic
party on tine tariff to that of men
"emptying hard coal ashes in a high
| wind, with their eyes shut and their
backs to the subject" When the
Democrats were trying to reach a
! compromise on the Wilson bill he said
it would be las easy to fit the hundred
headed dog Of the ancient fable with d
straw hat as TO put an Ineligible
tariff platform under the feet of the
Democratic party"
In this article in the illustrated
American ne puts some wholesome
truth in epigrammatic form, as in
these pertinent paragraphs:
There is not street corner oratCry'
left over from the last campaign noisy
enough to hide the beneficent fact that
this country will remain. as il always
has been, poor boys country. and
whatever party administers ii. d poor
mans government.
We belong to a money getting race
Our people are intuitively opposed
to every scheme, old or new, the object
of which is to take them out Of the
competition of life. We have inherited
a certain confidence in ourselves which
even poverty cannot eradicate; con-
tidence that invites us into the arena
where men are fighting for the prizes
of life and railing for its chances.
We may not be victorious in thu
battle, We may not be fortunate in thu
lottery. but we are SLOW 10 call in the
doctors of socialism to heal the wounds
of our defeat or 10 repair the failure OF
our luck. That JOY of the contest. thai
exhilaration of the game. follows us
even down to old age. And after all
hope for ourselves is gone We live In
. D.. = ..si,t 1rst
In the first place he points out thu
easily demonstrable fact that the great
majority of both branches of Congress
are either in poor circumstances or far
from rich. But ne does not consider
the appearance of rich men in public
life altogether unfortunate for the
country. He finds it easy to believe
that a national Congress made up al
together of orators and statesmen
would offer rather gloomly prospect
10 the country"
In some respects the most useful
men in either house of Congress are
the men who seldom utter a word, but
who bring to the discharge of then
duties a training in practical affairs
which makes them useful to the COM
munity.
The fact that men who have bull,
up great estates have the ambition tc
enter public life is evidence that the
good Lord has not intended money to
be the chief thing in this world. If the
possession of wealth had in it no dis
appointments. if it left the human
mind contented and satisfied. if il
filled the measure of healthful ambi
ton. the whole world would be given
up to the bloodless influences OF
avarfce and greed