Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-03-06
ApDlcks AS A TYPE.

From Springfield, Mass, Republican.
Addicks again fails Of election to
the United States senate. which Is
something gained for the senate and
the country. but he succeeds in nam
ing one Of his men for the long term,
and he senator from Delaware for
the short term will be q regular repub-
| lican. now q member Of b lower
| branch OF congress. Both senator's
| elect are little known. contrasting
with the days when the Bayards and
S~aulsburys wade Delaware OF some
weight in the councils Of the senate.
But Delaware has not seen the last
of Addicks. He that the
fight for an Addicks legislature next
year has already begun. and with 1t q
continuation of his fight to secure .
senate seat for himself. He may yet
win. There is nc reason to suppose
he may not. He practically owns the
state. and has made Of it as rotten q
pocket borough as can be found IN
the list Of American commemorative.
He is not the richest man In the
United States by any means, y ne
has no difficulty in securing a large
enough ownership of the state to DO
able to dictate who shall be senator
when he cannot get the Office for him.
self. 1t is plain that q Rockefeller or
Morgan or Carnegie could. II ne
chose, pick Delaware up an put 1t In
- ~vHN~A vynYlIA rattle
i around like a silver quarter.
, And why may not this ownership
of American commonwealth by indi-
! vidual ~millionaires extend? 1t has
certainly gained considerable head
way. We do not need to go to Nevada
with it's Stewards and Joneses, or to
-Montana with it's Clarks, or even to
Rhode Island with it's Aldrick and his
lieutenant Brayton, to obtain examples
of what seems to be q general ten
dency. The two largest states IN the
Union in point Of population and
! wealth are today owned, for political
y purposes, II not by one rich man. then
y by several acting for themselves and
2 general corporation interests, who pre-
- fer to exercise their power through
= agents like Plat and Quay rather
Y than directly as members Of the sen
ate. Michigan has become almost al
- thoroughly plutocratized as Pennsyf
- yania. Ohio is making marked pro
~ eress in that direction. New Jerse!
: is already near the goal. Maryland
cannot be far behind. Massachusetts
and other New England states, bar
e. ring Rhode Island, and Iowa almos
Sc alone of northern states manifest an
u very noteworthy ability to resist tn
y influences which are commercializinI
&c the politics of the nation.
a.. Fifty years ago the country fell VI
us der the shadow of an aggressive
er- dominating, i~atolerant, cohesive powe
tn holding to peculiar privileges in tn
subsection of the many to the materis
es, advancement of the few. 1t intrencl
OF ed itself behind state lines, asserte
lat the doctrine of state sovereignty. an
We from that vantage point aimed at tn
TN conquest OF the whole nation. But
les did have the grace to send to Wasl
: ington men who in their indivfdu,
selves were fitted to lead and Obtai
,rt- that power in national legtslatio
TO- Today q more indefinable but n
less existent power of wealth an
M. privilege seems to be spreading v
IVY the nation, quite as centralized IN
i'd united, and equally aggressive, cor
wn polling and embattled. It also SHOW
os- a tendency to intrench within sta
the lines, to dominate and possess who
commonwealth, to assert the doctril
los- of state rights as against the nation
,ro- power of monopoly regulation, and
all fill the United States senate with I
agents in the carrying out Of q col
prehensive scheme Of national co
wa troll.
But it differs radically from Il
slave power in showing the utmost
the difference as to the ability and chs
it acter of the men who are to serve
me- in the senate. 1t reserves its hie
AN est talent for the battles in the cour'
is 1t is content apparently to have sc
ade atOrs only, as a rule, who can vol
of We ,sight VOL! wish 1t would sht
ard more respect for the United Stat
senate. But as matters are mOvi
Addicks becomes more than an isoli