The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-03-25
E1hE VERSUS WEALTH
NAToR cULLoM ON oompEN-
sA1IoNs or CAREER As a
NATIONAL LEADER.
ssrospeet Of His Life-Election Ruse
winch Captured q senatorship
-Lineoln's Joke on Ed
itor Medill.
By Hon. Shelby MI. C11i1oTo

soltitee states Senator from Iliinois.)
II choice between fame with DOW
erfy or riches without fame. came
ss ine back in the early 70's. It is
- e7llhg IN the retrospect to see how
eslese things are determined for us
generally it is the force OF circum-
stances. The full significance of anv
elolee Is never known or appreciates
- inc time. We have a general idea
ae the determination is important
80 may result well or badly for us,
"e DO not see until perhaps 20
ears aIferWard what was meant by
me branching of che road.
objection to Capital Stock Tax.
People say to me sometimes that /
na.e occupied considerable figure in
pubic life, and have achieved what
"oald generally be considered a very
efed1fable amount 81 fame. This. they
say should be compensation enough
.oF not having accumulated a large
oahk account and investments in lands
ana stocks. Perhaps. But / am al
ways reminded by such opinion OF an
expression used by a good old friend
- mine who lives at Galesburg. 1T
was Wnlle was governor, and the leg
isialufe mad brought up a project to
lax capital stock. My friend was a
Iasaer large stakeholder in some Illi-
1iols manufacturing establishments,
ana was much exercised over the bill,
He came to me to register his protest
ne hardly waited to get into the room
before beginning.
1eu come down to Galesburg," said
ne, and as you walk into town YOU
see a red brick house That house
nelongs to John Doe. There are things
inside the house. They belong to him
also These are what the tax as
SCISSOR hnds, and they make him psy
tax On them. That's al right. Now
you walk along the street a little fur
ther You see another red brick
mouse very much like the first. That
mas machinery and other things in
y. 1t is owned by a corporation. Now
what does the taxing power DO? It
cohects on the house and everything
WITHIN the house, and then wants to
put tax on the whole burned blue
air around it.
That is somewhat my idea Of fame.
It IS rather nebulous and unsubstan-
Y 1lal, and certainly not a very valuable
commodity. when it comes to raising
i the money with which to meet taxes.
fight for State Capitol.
But, as ! was saying, the choice was
presented to me about 1870, the alter
native between quitting public life and |
settling down to nloney-making, or
staying in The public's service and |
taking my reward in the other cur !
reney I had been in public life for !!
- or IS years long enough to see lust
ABOUT what it was and whittier it led.
Z mad served three terms in congress,
and had been defeated for the nomfna-
ton. That sent me home to Spring
field. and in Springfield settled down.
determined never again to enter pub
lie life. 1 had praeticed law there
before, and had been in a way to
make loaeg when | quit To 30 to Goa
gress, and I knew that if could let
politics alone could make money
again. and more Of It. | formed a
Partnership with Milton Hay, uncle of
John Hay, present secretary Of state.
He was a fine man, of great legal at
tainments. head as big as a bushel
basket, and a grand lawyer We start
ed in, and everything looked promis-
ing, when up jumped some people ana
tried 70 run off with our capitol.
1T Fas the last battle Of d long
s.rs5,-r l. 40 |
saEEtol removed. Some wanted to take
Il to Bloomington, some to Galesburg,
and it seemed as If some wanted to {
put it on wheels ands cart it all around I
the state. The people of Sangamon {
county were terribly stirred up. and
first knew they came to me and {
wanted 7 should help them In orde..
to help them, / would have to run for {
the legislature. That is what they
both my partner and my
self should become candidates. 9
1t didn't look very attractive to me. l
had served a number of terms in i
congress, and had determined to leave D
public life entirely. But these people P
were my old neighbors, farmers and 2
business men for miles around and a
hey were asking me to help them
Fney had stood by me many a time,
md had helped me when had needed C.
heir heIn They put it to me JUS 5!
hal way. and I was forced to admit W
hat there was something in what they Il
aid. They went after Mr.. Hay, too S.
md would not take no for an an il
yer He wrote a=deinIte refusal and RI
threatened to resign if nominated; but "
rev burned his refusal. and the news 81
.aSers declined to print it. The up d
nat 81 lit all was that we both ran, te
n Though the district was democratic di
8 several thousand, We won. was tt
sade speaker. and Hay engineered the Fl
anital bill on the floor. and together pc
s at an appropriation Of $1,000 900 Cd
; complete the building. That ended b.
be long light There was never any in
1rther talk about removing the cap in
toI =
But found myself in the game 10
cain i was nominated for the legls- Of
TIRE with the understanding that my ri
.ssnis support me swo years later fos Fo
40 which they did, and then ! ia
A.sad CIV Years as governor. From gov he
- IL senator was the ntNt step. as
- 80 i vert, no unae to stop ana oF
s. - ,aaaey and a mighty scrmPY eli
- - srring to live deeentls ana geI Sc
ItiS = CD larry 9f Sa.DU0 4