The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1904-05-05
kfand 81 6nr,diIeinled Il ,diIild 62 Menit6.


The California pioneer was pefsoni-
He began at the bottom, with empty
pockets, n pair OF willing hands, q
pluck that nothing could discourage
and a resolution to succeed that com
PEELED success. When millions came to
him he remained the same man his fell
low miners In the gulches knew-clear
headed, shrewd. direct. good humored
and warm hearted. The management of
vast and complex interests was as easy
to him as the handling of the rocker
at Long Tom. but he did not seem to
recognize that this talent differentiated
him from his comrades of the mines.
"Why should money change man?''
he would say In conversational intima-
cy, except TO make him bigger and
better by enabling him to be his best
self? If you're poor you have to do
what you cnn, and somebody else gives
you orders. but If you're rich you're
free TO be what you like"
And this particular millionaire liked
to be n 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
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.
81 was nearly 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. got off my horse and
sat down In the shade, flicking the dust
In the road with my switch and Won
derlng IL I'd better go on to the Com
stock or turn back. I'd left Z little mill
behlnd-nothing much, but there was a
living in 1t. If went ahead to this
untried field the chances were I'd go
broke and have to begin all over again.
But l started after the boys, just as
much for company's sake as anything
y
first million.
Now. 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 go 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 a distinguish
ed family back In the states counted
for nothing. Neither did education
unless 1t could be applied. What q
man was in himself, not what he had
not who his relatives were, was the
test. Ability and character were ev.
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
conducted In the interest of the Repub.
lican party exclusively. OF this news
paper, the San Francisco Examiner,
he made gift to his son, William
Randolph 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 De-
mocracy. The boys achievements in
Journalism were the delight of the
senator He was proud of his son
and fond of him as not many fathers
are. Their intimacy was close and
loving.
The son comes honestly by his De-
mocracy. Most men inherit their poll
ties as sort of unthinking party hab-
1t, but Senator Hearts Democracy was
matter of living ideas and senti-
ments, which he transmitted by ex-
ample and instruction. He believed in
the people-not that they had any
magical Way of being always right,
but because he had seen no set of men
who were so much wiser and better
than the majority That they should be
commissioned to rule. -.
"The people," the old senator would
say, "can make fools Of themselves
sometimes, but they've got no monop-
oily on that weakness. If they don't
know what's best for them, they're a
good deal more likely to than others
whose interest 1t is to work them"
What he stood for, by instinct and
the newspapers of his son.
whom he admired as much as he low
ed, stand for-government of the peo-
pie by themselves, to the end that we
may have In this republic equality of
rights and no privileged class.