Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-22
7ne INFLUENCE OF THE ULTRA RICH.

is it worth while being mult1-mll-s
lionaire? Does the possession OF I'M s
mense wealth bring anything beyond
the capacity to buy? In the latest
number of the North American Re-
view George Harvey argues that the
influence Of our very rich men is neg
alive. In short that they must inf1u-
ence public opinion in favor OF such
policies as they favor by publicly OPP
posing the very things and theories
hey favor. Says Mr.. Harvey:
Sometimes we wonder whether as 9
people we are not becoming uncon-
sclously socialistic. Take, as all an il.
Illustration of the present tendency, the
case of one Of our very rich mers Whoss
success would have been the wonder
and admiration of the past generation.
He left home as a poor boy in the GUS
tomary manner, wholly dependent even
for a living upon his personal exer-
tions. Good fortune did not comy
quickly. He remained comparatively
INDECENT for many years; but, after
time, inherited mental capacity and de-
veloped industry and perseverance
wore away the barriers, and step by
step he advanced, until today he Is the
active director of the greatest and most
successful business in the world. Fifty
years ago, such an one would have
been honored his opinions needed and
his favor sought. His influence would
have been not only great but affirma-
tive, as was, for example, Peter Coop
er's. Now it is restricted to a class
whose chief weakness lies in lis finan-
cial strength, and, broadly speaking, 1t
is wholly negative. In recent years,
men occupying similar positions have
RETAINED from expressing Judgment
bearing up the conduct of public affairs
because of the apparent unwisdom of
SO doing; and, altllo we have known
we'll this particular man and observed
his conduct somewhat closely, we can,
not recall single utterance from him
of the character mentioned since he
achieved his pre-eminence. We were
surprised, therefore, to note Q, depar-
.ture from his lifelong custom the other
day. when, in newspaper interview,
he frankly espoused the cause Of a GER
tain political candidate upon the
ground that the opposing force was
menace to the business interests of the
country. The effect was quick and in
evitable. Those. in whose favor he de-
clared sighed: those of whom he dis
approved exulted The former dis
creetly minimized, the latter loudly
inagnified the significance of the utter
ance; and we have no doubt that the
consensus of opinion would be that the
one acted wisely and the other shrewd-
ly. And yet the Judgment possesses
great value, and the personal interests
represented thereby are quite in COM
mon with those Of the people as 4
whole.
The observation of the ordinary man
Will corroborate Mr.. Harves's state
ments. 1t is enough that a very veal
thy man espouse q cause, however just
it may be, to set large part of the
people in opposition. Not only the
unthinking and unreasonable, but men
of judgment and anxious for good gov
eminent would find MIR. Rockefeller's
support of any policy good and sutfi-
Client reason for opposing it. Who is
to blame?
Not the prejudiced and suspicious so
much as those who have aroused pre-
judlce and suspicion. Not the public
that has been time and again exploited,
hut the class that has exploited it. If
there is a widespread suspicion of the
motives OF wealth III politics it Is not
without cause and foundation If there
exists the belief that wealth assumes to
rise above the law where it may, and