Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-30
him what was then the opproorioas name

AsAAn WAot "dS eiich sA0 OpkeA ocAAO ud1AS
Of politician.
when a young legislator in our state Leg
tslature I was at a meeting Of those mer-
chants and fnanciers who controlled the
business Of the metropolis. They had men,
bers OF the legislature as guests in order to
present to them their views upon pending
legislation, which. II enacted, would have
inflicted serious damage upon the city. We
discovered that none OF them ever voted
except at presidential elections. None OF
them took any part in the preliminary work
which controls parties and selects their rep
resentatives. told them then, and have
been more than ever convinced since of its
truth. that people who take no part in poll
tics have no right to complain Of what
politicians do for them; that II they suf-
fered 1t Is their just punishment for the
neglect Of the highest duty OF citizenship.
Now. however, that condition has happily
changed. Business men find that II they
would keep prosperity for themselves and
for the country they must take an active
and intelligent interest in public matters.
The Leading Business Man.
Senator Mcmillan was the leading busi-
ness man Of his state and among the fore
most OF its successful men OF affairs. He
was never satisfied with occasional voting
and continually complaining and criticising,
but he found time, as every man can, for a
beneficent interest In local. state and ma
tional matters. He demonstrated that the
manager OF e great business. without ne
serve his city or his town II they require
his experience or his brains. or his party
as chairman Of its state committee, by
bringing to that organization In that capac-
lily the faculties which have placed him at
the front in the creation of enterprises and
the management OF affairs Senator Nc
MILAN was entitled, II anybody. to that
phrase with which we are becoming grad
ualy familiar-a captain OF industry. Great
as has been the progress and development
of the United States materially, financially
and indust rally, fortunately public senu-
ment has kept pace with Its growth.
"a senator Of national reputation said
quarter of a century ago that there is
nothing SO dangerous to the public welfare
as million Of dollars unless 1t be two. This
declaration received universal applause.
But we have learned to draw the line be-
tween money which Is active In the crea-
ton OF new Industries. In charging the
scope Of old ones, In developing resources
and opening new territories for settlement.
and that baser and sordid use Of accumu-
lations which benefits, II it does benefit.
only its selfish possessor. II a million dol
lars viii give employment to i've hundred
Of a thousand, A billlon-dollar company
places upon Its pay roll LIS 600, and as part
OF its success by concentration and reduc-
ton OF cost adds q per cent in wages to
former conditions. The railway whose cap
ttal enabled 1t to build q hundred miles
gives work upon Its single track and linn
fted facilities to a mere fraction OF those
VINO are required when It extends a thou
sand miles with the equipment which both
attracts increasing traffic and stimulates 1t.
Employment Of Wealth.
concrete object lesson OF this process OF
beneficial development. Coming as q very
young man from Canada to Detroit he
n mt AyNn IRoy n,
boy does. and then as he masters the busi-
ness arrives at partnership and control.
The shop becomes factory. the factory
expands from the product Of one article to
many. The ramif1cations Of the business
extend beyond the city through the state
The employment runs from one to ten, from
ten to a hundred. from a hundred to sew
eral thousands. At each advance there IL
a betterment OF every condition, both For
the business and for those in every capas-
ity who are connected with 1t. The city
soon recognizes and utilizes that faculty OF
organization and administration which had
accomplished this result. His party de.
manded service which was conspicuoussy
performed In the leadership In Michigan
in several presidential campaigns. Then
the state asked Of him for the common
wealth of Michigan this talent for It's rep
resentative in the United States Senate.
For thirteen years he sat here as senator
OF that great state. At the time Of his
death he had just been returned for six
years more. He was not an orator.
No More Valuable Member.
HE had not the gift Of speech, but in
labor and in counsel there was no more
valuable member in this body. Business in
its highest sense, that business which
means prosperity to the country, the EN-
ployment Of capital and labor. activities
of every kind which enlarge old avenues
and open new, found In him here one OF its
most efficient representatives. He was for
years at the head Of the committee on the
District of Columbia. The capital as wo
have it today, with its parks. its avenues.
it's water, its public buildings, its transpof-
tation facilities and all that makes It the
finest example Of an American city, owa
much Of It's beauty, its comfort and Its de-
velopment to the wise administration OF