Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-16

grown. and with it their standards of
righteousness. Public sentiment has practi-
cally barred the drunlkard from politics.
| The bride taker hides his ill-gotten gains.
| twenty-five years ago he splurged and was
| not ashamed. Prerequisites of office" are
| disappearing. Honest men are scornful OF
| the congressman who takes unearned mile
age, unused stationery and unnecessary
| clerk hire. The legislative "junket" has
! been reformed considerably, and is now
| given only upon extraordinary occasions,
| while the big drunk draft" Of the sena-
| torial funeral has been practically aband-
| oned, In the national house of repre-
| sentatives, the place in our federal gov
eminent most responsive to public feeling
| the members who have any substantial
| tenure of Office are divided into two classes;
those who are making regulations as
Woodworking and efficient congressman"
| and those who are making regulations as
friends Of the people," The fashions in
congressman change with the changing
heart OF the nation The "bloody-shirt"
congressman and the Friend of the SOL
der" congressman and the grand old fraud
who used to lord it around his district
dead-beating his constituents and making
them believe that he could be president II
he would let whisky alone, have vanished
In the senate the drone lives, but the peo-
pie have not had time to change the COM
plexion of the senate. But the senators
elected within the two years last past
have been of new cast of countenance
Unless the present public temper passes
La Toilette will have a dozen others OF
his kind to keep him company in a few
years.
Higher Moral Tone Now,
In state government there has been
a distinct manifestation of the growth OF
moral perception in the people, The
governor Of the average state in the sos
and sos was rather useless appendage of
the political organization He did the orn-
amental standing around, delivered the ad-
dress of welcome, wore a high hat at the
christening Of the Sattleship that bore the
states name. and signed the requisitlon pa
pers to earn his salary. 1t was the unusual
thing for governor to take an aggressive
part in the government of the state. Often
he was only constitutional figurehead
with senatorial ambition. And the party |
boss, either In or out of the state central |
committee of the dominant party, had more |
to say about the policy OF the state than |
the plaster-of-paris governor. He was sup
posed to look particularly after those
to corporate interests, and to use the pat
ronage of the eleemosynary institutions to
restrain importunate gentlemen of the leg
islature threatening to make laws to en-
barrass capital. But many of the gov
ernors elected since 1900 have been gov
ernors in truth. They have represented the
people, as against the interests conspiring
10 wrong the people and consequently the
governors OF many states-republioans as
well as democrats-have apparently decided
10 keep tab on the Vaccinations of the cor
Doration lobby. and have directed much
subernatorial energy toward those meas
Tres and policies which would benefit the
people in their contest with the aggrandize-
nent Of wealth, where 1t encroaohes upon
he liberties Of citizens The people have
made the governor a part OF their real
government Governor Deneen of Illinois,
Governor Folk OF Missouri, Governor Hoch
II Kansas, Governor Cummins OF Iowa and
ormer Governor La Toilette of Wisconsin
ire men OF this type whose names are IA
niliar to most newspaper readers. The !
ype is multiplying rapidly.
Money Not the whole Thing.
It happens that each OF these governors
las had contest with the Grass power OF
money ia politics. That contest is bound to !
lead. and refuses to allow the party ma
hine oiled with the dirty grease of i'm ,
roper campaign contributions. to control ,
lie actions.
When money cannot direct the states ,
ction along certain selfish lines by the
overt use OF the party. It fights in the 4,
pen. And the governor who stands for !
he people must expect 70 tight Last I.
pring the brewers OF St. Louis were re- ,
listing the enforcement Of the law against /
'unday closing. They gave it out that !
hey had raised a million dollars" with ,
which 10 push the fight "a million dol /,
ars," In politics. is considerable money ,
But It doesn't Brighten the people OF Mis- !
ouri as much as ten thousand would have ,
frightened them ten years ago. Once the :
ak OF a million dollar campaign fund
made the friends OF a presidential candi-
ate throw up their hands in despair; but
he million dollar fund In Missouri excites
My the merTiment Of those who are in
isting upon the enforcement OF the law. '
he people are no longer afraid OF the | 7
se OF money grossly IN politics. That is y
argely because the events Of the past ave '