New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1904-04-23

And this particular millionaire nKet
[ to be democratic American.
! That is what distinguished the sue
/ cessful CalifOrnians for the most part
} their democracy. Assumption Of su
| periority, pretension to being different
In kind from those around them, AFRO
I gance, aloofness-these traits were for
hidden by their knowledge of life and
| sense Of humor
Senator Hearst confessed that he was
made humble by his good fortune.
II was nearly a middle aged man, .
he related, when / started from Cal
ifornia over the mountains with a
party for the new Washoe mines. The
day was hot, the grade steep, and |
fell behind. 1 got off my horse and
Bat down in the shade, ficking the dust
In the road with my switch and won
dering If I'd better go on to the Com
stock or turn back. I'd left little mill
behind-nothing much, but there was u
living in it. If l went ahead to this
untried field the chances were I'd go
broke and have to begin all over again.
But started after the boys, just as
much for company's sake as anything
else, and inside a year I'd made my
first million.
Vow, why did that happen to me es.
pecially? 1t could just as well have
happened to anybody else.
"Put on airs because you've struck
1t rich? Oh I've seen too many good
men 60 down who deserved to sue
ceed, and too many bad fellows get on
who ought to have gone down, to be
puffed up by my own good fortune.
I'm just thankful. Those early days
tried men out. To be of distinguish.
ed family back In the states counted
for nothing. Neither did education
unless It could be applied. What
man was In himself, not what he had,
not who his relatives were, was the
test. Ability and character were ey-
erything"
In his old age leisure came to SEN
ator Hearst, and he interested himself
In public affairs. He gave to the Pa
cific coast its first Democratic news
paper-the first Democratic newspaper
that received special dispatches from
the east-and SO emancipated the news
from the editing Of the Associated
Press, which, on its political side, was
In the interest Of the Repub-
ltcan party exclusively. OF this news
paper, the San Francisco Examiner
he made a gift to his son, William
Hearst, when the latter left
Harvard. and from that beginning the
system of Hearst newspapers, embrac-
Ing the continent, has grown Father
and son worked together for the T.
mOcracy. The boys achievements uo'
Journalism were the delight OF ,,saA
senator. He was proud of his son
and fond of him as not many fathers |
ire. Their intimacy was close and |
owing
The son comes honestly by his De
nocracy. Most men inherit their poll !,
les as a sort Of unthinking party hab-
t, but Senator Hearts Democracy was |
! matter Of living ideas and senti- |
AShto, "hASh AC u NY Ca
.mple and instruction. He believed in
be peOple-not that they had any
magical way of being always right,
'ut because he had seen no set Of men
Who were so much wiser and better
han the majority that they should be
to rule.
"The people," the old senator would
ay, "can make fools Of themselves
ometimes, but they've got no monop-
ly on that weakness. If they don't !
now what's best for them, they're
ood deal more likely 10 than others
hose interest it is to work them"
What he stood for, by instinct and
the newspapers Of his son,
HON he admired as much as he low
!, stand for-goyernment Of the peo-
e by themselves, to the end that we
ay have In this republic equality of
ghts and no privileged class.