The Southern herald., 1899-03-24

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 theii
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 tC
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
sylvania; Senator Hale, of Maine; SEN
ator Platt, of New York; Senator
Brice, of Ohio, and others who might
be named in the same category.
Senator Depew, of New York, as hC
has himself said, began life with moth
ing but clear head and honest hands
He is product of our soil and Of ouI
institutions. Now that he has ac'
quired fame and riches, his ambition
has led him to 60 to the senate, and the
great state of New York is proud ID
thus honor him.
Senator-elect Clark, of Montana, IL
probably the richest man ever elected
to the senate, but he began life as g
very poor boy. He educated himself
taught schools in Connecticut, went
west to Iowa, where he farmed awhile,
taught school awhile, and then went
out to Colorado and Montana seeking
his fortune in the hills, as a prospectoi
and miner, Having accumulated
wealth, and having become a 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 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 10 acquire wealth
while we have not been favored with
the faculty which enables men 10 be-
come rich. After having been a sena.
tor for 1s years, from the state of Kan
sas, John j. ingalls, was retired TO pri
vate life. In lecture delivered in thii
city, shortly after his retirement Sen
ator Ingalls, said:
"The money-making faculty is giver
TO but few men, and we who have MOI
that faculty can never become rich, ne
matter how hard we may try. For ex
ample, Jay Gould and | began life al
about the same time, and with appar
emily the same opportunities. But
there was big difference. He had the
money-making faculty and had not
Consequently Jay Gould is a million
aire and am statesman out of job
While the morals to be drawn from
these incidents may be valuable, par
ticularly to ambitious young men whC
intend to go into politics, the writei
can give even better pointer out o.
years of experience in observing states.
men come and go. The wise thing fo
the ambitious young man to do will be
to give up all idea of politics and stitch
TO private business. There is probably
no stratum Of human life in which
there are so many disappointments, Sc
many heart burnings, so many wrong.
committed, so many acts of ingrati
tude, as in political life. Very few
politicians are happy, or have glimpseI
of happiness for the future.
GMTTIT N EnV