Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-08
MILLIONAIRE SENATORS.
Senator Proctor OF Vermont Rated at
Three Millions.
washington Correspondent of til

n. Y. SUM
The following table gives a list Of the
senator's whose wealth reaches or goes
above the million mark. with the estimate
OF their fortunes somewhat loosely made
of course. because nobody knows a mans
private affairs but himself, and he won't
tell {:
William A. Clark, Montana. So, 0oo, 900
Thomas Kearns, Utah. ......... IL, 600, 900
John Kean. New Jersey. 1000, go
James Mcmillan, Michigan. .... 5,Oe0, 600
S. b. Elkins, West Virginia. ....... 4,0Oo, 600
John Dryden, New Jersey 5000 600
Redfeld Proctor, Nermont.......... 5000, coo
George Peabody Wetmore. Rhode
Island. ....... ...... .......... 1000 coo
Marcus A Hanna, Ohio ............ 2,0CO. 800
Chauncey NJ. Depew, New York. 1000 900
Eugene Hale, Maine. .............. 1000 900
There are five or six names that perhaps
should be added Of senators who. II the
facts were known. might be able to squeeze
just within the 81 .coO, 900 mark, such sena-
tors as j. b. Foraker of Ohio, Charles W.
Fairbanks of Indiana, Thomas r. Bard of
California, A. G. Foster of Washington
and ]. H. Willard of Nebraska.
But whether the amount set opposite
these senators names is or Is not approx
mately correct. it is a safe statement TO
make that there are not eighteen senato
out of total of eighty eight who can
rghtfully be said to be mllionaires. and
that the wealth of these eighteen has been
grossly exaggerated in the public mind.
The wealth of Clark and kearns and
Elkins moreover. is speculative. owing to
the nature of the business in which they
are engaged. The number of senator's who
possess actual, tangible convertible,
wealth beyond the 100000 mark is not
large.
Everybody knows how Clark of Mon
tnnn do hi
and how he used it to further his political
fortunes.
Kearns of Utah is a bonanza mine own
er also and railroad builder and he is
moreover young man who will be heard
Of later. John Kean is the present head of
"A family whose wealth is an inheritance
1t has never been divided and is increased
by business sagacity.
James Mcmillan started in life as a car
builder and is now Interested In many
great business concerns, although he has
retired from active work and turned his
interests over to his sons. stephen b. Elk
ms is n Spectator in lands, COAL railroads,
and he is still making money.
Dryden is the head of a powerful in
surance corporation, n business that has
always made money and probably always
WILL Redfeld Proctor owns valuable mar
bic quarries in his native State and every
time a man dies he sells a tombstone. SO
how can he help being rich? George Pea
body Wetmore's money is inherited.
Nelson w. Aldrich has been in Congress
for twentyfour years and for twenty one
Years as been n senator He was former
ly a wholesale grocer. He is a business
man OF abilities as great as those he dis
plays rs politician and statesman, and in
his management OF the Senate republi-
cans. He would have been a rich man If he
had never entered public life. His present
&c &c al 80 !, To
labors in consolidating and perfecting the
| electric street railroad system of Provi-
dencc and its suburbs.
Mr. Hanna made his money in the iron
producing and iron transporting business
| in Cleveland and on tho Great Lakss
| Chauncey M. Depcw derived his wealth
from attending TO the business OF the New
York Central railroad and tho Vanderbilt
| family generally.
Eugene Hale's wife fell heir to the
modest fortune Of her father, the late
Zachariah Chandler of Michigan, who was
an honest merchant prince of Detroit be
| fore he became United States senator
and secretary of the interior.
INFLUENCE OF POOR MEN.
| On the other hand, Senator Hoar who Il
chairman of the judiciary committee &
great lawyer and n profound scholar VIII,
has been an intellectual power in Congress.
for quarter of a century or more Ia 6
poor man living in q boarding house dur
| ing all his public life, and he wouldn'
recognize Il chance to make money If h,
\ saw il.
| Allison of Iowa is chairman OF the ap
propriations committee, a place exceeding
| in Importance that of secretary OF thu
| treasury. He Is however a member o.
| nearly all the important committees ant
directly and indirectly possesses NOR
actual influence upon legislation than an,
man In public life, not excepting the Presi
dent yet he Is poor man.
SO is Plat of Connecticut, sound lawye
and conservative legislator He Is the au
thor of the law under which Cuba Il
| about to be turned over to her own peopl
and OF the Chinese exclusion bill, which
Il the Senate has just passed by large ma
| jority az a substitute for the House ant
| Senate bills. Plat has made a reputation
i I'm the Senate that would be worth million
70 him as corporation lawyer. and n
i has made 1t as "A poor man whose onl!
Il capital Is brains.
Il Spooner of Wisconsin the ablest debate
II and most ready constitutional eKpounde
on the republican side. Is comparatively
poor man and 50 are Cullom, chairman o
II the foreign relations: IIawley, chair
man Of military affairs; Prltchard, chair
man of patents; Gallinger. chairman o
pensions Mason, chairman of postofnces
; burrows. chairman of privileges an
elections: marlborough, chairman of pub
lie lands: Beveridge, chairman of terri
tories and SO on down the list.