The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-27
The Senate MOI a
Pluto(rats' Club

A CONGRESSMAN is usually a man who
~ worked his own way up in the world and
- this is as true OF the senate as OF the house.
The idea that the senate is millicnares'
club is fictitious. There are several senators
who are millionarcs and others who indc-
pendently rich. That is. they have an income
outside their salaries upon which they might
live-luclily for them, as the senator or rep
lesentative who doesn't spend every cent OF
his salary and something more, while in office.
is very rare, indeed. The talk about million
aires in the senate is largely enesswork. 1t
must be in the nature of things, for n mil
lionaire'' is very vague and ill-deined crea-
turc. The lists which sometimes published
giving names of senators with seven or eight
figures attached preceded by the dollar mark,
are always imaginary. There is hardly a rich
man in the senate who owes his place to his
money. Common rcpute would probably put
the following in any list OF senatorial million
aires: .>ldrch, Depcw, Elkins, Fairbanks
Foraker, j. p. Jones, Kean, Lodge, Mcmillan
Proctor, Scott, Shoup, Stewart. Turner, Wetmore
and Wolcot. Common repute is mistaken in
about % per cent. of this number. But even
supposng that it was right, there are only
two or three in the list who would not have
held influential positions in the senate even
had they been poor men.
Allrich is one Of the shrewdcst political man
ayers in the United States. lie controls the
politics of his state by sheer ability, and most
of the money he has made has been due to
fortunate investments since lie became senator.
Depew is an orator Of wonderful gifts and q
lawyer whose services to his party have been
great that the marvel is lie was not made n
senator before. Elkins has had national rcpu.
tation an astutc political manager for the
last twenty-five years. Fairbanks is the
knowlctlged leader of his party in his state. For
,l-n =, mil ff l,in
man Of national reputation orator and 4
party leader before he was chosen to the senate,
and what money he has made was earned in the
practise OF his profession after he left the gov
crnor's chair. Hale married his money after he
came to congress. When he was elected to the
house he was a green country boy, with hair that
needed cutting and trousers that did not. lie
made his reputation--he is one of the ablcst
men in either branch Of congress. Blaine took
him up and introduced him into society, and
his fortune was made 1t is not his money
that keeps lin in the senate. 1t is too late
now for anybody TO question IIanna's political
ability. lie may know how to put money to
good use in politics. hut lie has shown SUI
fcient executive capacity to prove that, il
necessary, he could get along without it.
Lodge is the leader OF his party in Massach,l-
sets, an orator, a scholar and n writer as well
us a political success. Mcmillan is the best
political organizer in Michigan. Proctor was
Il gallant officer in the civil war, las been gov
enor of his state, and secretary Of war. Tur-
ncr, OF Washington, is accounted one OF the
most brilliant men in the Far West. Besides,
he is 4 Popuist Wolcott, OF Colorado is
brilliant orator and fine lawyer lie would
shine anywhere even though he had no money
at all.
Aside from these who, whether rightly or
wrongly, are sometimes classcd among the mll-
ionaircs. there is another group OF senator's who
are ''wel-to-do"-- how well-to-do it would
be hard to say; but any one Of them could lose
His political Office without missing the salary.
Allison Chandler, Cockrell, Davis, lIawlcy, lioar,
Lindsay, McEnery, Penrose, Perkins, the two
platts Quarles, Simon, Spooner, Teller, Thurs
ion. Turley. Wellington, Scwall and Warren are
in this group. Doubtless there are otl,els Most
Of these men have been successful in law or in
business and the fact that they are not de-
pendent Oh politics for living is simply
tribute to their chosen careers. The talk about
the senate being a milonairc's club is midsum-
ner Stiffness. To be a senator is TO have the
most delightful political position which can
fall to the lot Of an American public man.
But those who have won it have earned 1t by
strenuous endcavor as the elimination OF crcd-
table political careers. They have not bought
their seats
1t has become popular cry that members OF
the senate ought to he chosen by popular vote,
the plea being that the use OF money in state
legislatures has become scandal resulting in
the choice OF men who could not look for favor
ri the hands Of the people As matter of fact,
there are few senators who at some stage in their
careers have not met with emphatic popular en-
dorscment OF the members OF tine present senate
twelve have been governors OF states; twenty'six
have been members of the house OF representa-.
tiyes; thirty.two have held other elective oficea