The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1905-03-08
Government by High Finance.

10 M CeDruarys ulnber OF
McClure's Magazine. The article is
entitled Rhode Island: A State For
Sale, and in it there is much to make
the people ponder seriously over the
political corruption and debauchery
which seems to be the Distinguishing
feature of the times. We ares quite
sure that the majority of intelligent
Americans have long believed that
the way to the pu~rification of our
politics lies in the restriction of the
suffrage and the elimination of
ignorant and venal voters from the
electorate. But in the case OF Rhode
Island it appears that all voters are
alike SO far as venality is concerned.
The state has q restricted suffrage
and only persons of education and
property can vote, but Mr.. Steffens
declares that these persons are bought
and sold like cattle, because every
body, nor n less, is perfectly will
ling to accept $40 or more for ''the
time LOST in going to the polls.
Mr.. Steffens. whose articles r
always based on the results of careful
Investigations, says: ''bribcry of the
people is a custom of the country in
Rhode Island: it is an institution and
like the church or property it is not
safe to attack it," This is not an
exaggerated statement. because the
existing conditions have been fully
recognized by SO eminent IN authority
as Bishop McVickar who in discuss
sing them is quoted as saying. "It is
an outrage on our civilization that
young men of the church with high
ideals should be put under the ban of
the power of political immOralities
and forced to acquiesce in evil for the
sake of their families"
The persons who are responsible
for these ~disgraceful conditions are
not politicians of the ward heller
type, because Rhode Island is ruled
by business men," in other words
milliOnaires whom Mr.. Steffens shows
how to buy the legislation they
want rs if it were material for their
factories. At the head of these men
and the master mind of them all, is
Mr.. Aldrich who represents Rhode
SlurA IN <hn Ty~sto1 Ctu<oc Co~n%o
Of him the article in McClure's says:
I'm the Senate there is a small ring
the steering cOmmittee) which
coming more and more to be the
aead of the United States Senate.
The head Of this committee is Senator
w. Aldrich who has been
as 1.-THE boss of the United
States" ''the power behind the
hrone, ;" 1.-THE general manager Of the
United States" The fitness of these
tiles is q question Of national politics,
Ind all I know to the point in that
ield is what everybody knows: that
senator Aldrich, q very rich man and
ather.in-law of young Mr.. Rookie
eller, is supposed to represent
Sugar." STANDARD oil,'' New
and, more broadly, "Wall
Our leading legislative
authority on protective tariff. he
for privileged business: the
hartman Of the Senate finance COM
nittee, he stands for high finance.
these facts and suppositions, taken
ogether with the praises I have heard
# him in Wall street and the COM
Ortable faith he seem to inspire in
BUSINESS men oil have in Senator
Aldrich the commercial ideal of
character, and-if not the
'ead--at least the political represen-
alive Of the head of that system
rhich is coming o and more to
AXE the place Of the passing paper
government of the United States"
Senator Nelson w. Aldrich is now
n Europe, it is said for his health, !
md it would be better for the welfare
Il the country if he never returned,
to him more than any other man
$ due the fact that the Senate OF the
United States has been degraded and
the citadel of the repacious
md INSCRIPTIONS corporate forces
which are constantly seeking special
privileges and are ever active in
the public. He represents
It Washington that High Finance
which is utterly corrupt and main
aims its power by corruption. We
frequently hear of the rapid growth