Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-03-03


er some thousands of dollars; and in.
crease them to millions, if possible.
Then they can break into political life
and keep to the front as long as their
money lasts.
Concerning the rich men in congress
there is a generally mistaken opinion
throughout the country. Particularly
is this true concerning the rich men of
the senate. 1t seldom happens that
any man born rich secures election to
that body. The rich men who are to
be found in the senate are usually self
made men, who began life poor, and ac-
cumulated riches by their own frugal
ity, industry and superior sagacity.
For example, there have been Senator
Sherman, of Ohio; Senator Stock
bridge, of Michigan; Senator Sawyer,
of Wisconsin; Senator Quay, of Penn
sy1vania; Senator Hale, of Maine; Sen
ator Plat, of New York; Senator
Brice, of Ohio, and others who might
be named in the same category.
Senator Depew, of New York, as he
has himself said, began life with moth
ing but a clear head and honest hands.
He is product of our soil and of our
institutions. Now that he has &C
CURED fame and riches, his ambition
has led him to go to the senate, and the
great state of New York is proud to
thus honor him.
Senator-elect Clark, of Montana, is
probably the richest man ever elected
to the senate, but he began life as a
very poor boy. He educated himself
taught schools in Connecticut, went
n hPr he far n n
taught school awhile, and then went
out to Colorado and Montana seeking
his fortune in the hills, as prospector
and miner. Having accumulated
wealth, and having become many
times millionaire, he turned his am
| bilious eye on the senate, and the leg
islature of Montana has honored him
by an election to that august body.
Men who thus begin at the bottom of
the ladder of life have a right to aspire
to seats in the senate, or even to the
presidency; and we cannot find fault
| with them nor suspect their motives
for political preferment, solely because
they have been able to acquire wealth.
while we have not been favored with
| the faculty which enables men to be-
! come rich. After having been a sena-
| UOT LOT 10 years, from the state OF hdn-
sas, John j. Ingalls, was retired to pri-
| vate life. In lecture delivered in this
city, shortly after his retirement, Sen
ator ingalls, said: :,
The money-making faculty is given
to but few men, and we who have not
that faculty can never become rich, no
| matter how hard we may try. For ex-
ample, Jay Gould and 1 began life at
about the same time, and with appar-
emily the same opportunities. But
there was big difference. He had the
money-making faculty and I had not.
Consequently Jay Gould is million
aire and l am statesman out of job. "
While the morals to be drawn from
these incidents may be valuable. par
ticularly to ambitious young men who
intend to go into politics. the writer
can give even a better pointer out of
years of experience in observing states
anen come and go. The wise thing for
the ambitious young man to do will be
to give up all idea of politics and stick
to private business. There is proba bly,
no stratum of human life in which
there are so many disappointments. so
many heart burnings. so many wrongs
committed, SO many acts of ingrati-
tude, as in political life. Very few
politicians are happy, or have glimpses
of happiness for the future.
SMITH d. FRY.