The independent., 1907-03-07
Crocsus, the Statesman
By United States Senator Albert Beveridge
Shall None But AIillionaires Run the Government?
Modest Washington Life Consumes Big Income

Oul mlt11OnalfeS conduct the anleIl-
can government? The people Of this
nation are face to face with this ques-
ton right now. The increase Of mil
uonaires in American public life will. if
1t continues at the ratio that has been
maintained for the past decade, soon
place the conduct of national affairs
exclusively in the hands of the vastly
rich; while it is now an accepted fact
that none but men of great fortunes
can represent this republic at the capi-
tails of other great nations today.
Supposng that the ever-swelling
number of the greatly rich, who are
crowding into American public life,
get their offices without improper use
Of a dollar; conceding that they are
able, patriotic, and would run the gov
ernment well; agreeing that every
thing good that could be said Of any
public man could also be said Of the
rich public man-the question still Is
whether this government Of, by, and
for the people is to be conducted solely
by the wealthy class. The question
still remains whether the American
people are ready deliberately to shut
out from the conduct of their govern
ment that great body OF fine, 1egis-
lative, and executive ability constantly
developing among the masses. For,
excluding every other reason, one
plain practical cause Is producing this
result and that cause, so little
thought OF and seldom noticed, is the
simple one of the extravagant cost of
living in Washington.
1t was my rare good fortune to be
the seatmate Of Senator Hoar at our
daily luncheon In the senate restau-
rant Speaking of tho extravagant
plane to which living had been raised
in the nations capital, this great man
said to me one day
when / came to Washington ! had
accumulated bout a hundred thou
sand dollars from my practice of the
law. If / complete another term, it
will practically all be gone. 1t has
been used up, in addition to my sena-
torial salary, in the common expense
Of daily living"
And yet it was well known that this
most learned as well as one of. the
most useful of men in American pub
lie life lived in extreme simplicity. He
and his wife occupied two rooms in a
modest hotel whose prices are very far.
below those of the great Washington
dinner, seldom il ever entertained in
any way, seldom if ever mad cam
pagn contributions. 1t was plain liv
ing and high thinking" with Senator
Hoar from start to last. He rode to
the capitol in the street cars and once
rebuked the extravaganza of a fellow
senator because he paid single fares
instead of buying tickets. Neverthe
less this splendid specimen of Ameri
can craftsmanship, whom the whole
nation loved and honored and whom
his state most properly adored, found
himself in his old age without the
money he had earned before he went
into public life and without cent of
the salary that had been paid to him
during his thirty years of invaluable
public ervice
Another example: IL was in the very
thick of one OF those desperate strug-
giles in the senate some three years
ago. which was so fierce that the
whole countrv from day to day
watched the contest Late one even
ing certain critical situation devel
oped requiring active warfare, on the
floor the next day OF one OF the
purest. most courageous. and effective
American senators-a man greatly be-
ioNtu H. HIS ONH Sidtts IbfltndHuilb
the confidence Of the senate and the
president: nan in short whose whole
life IN the service of his country makes /
his career one upon which the nation
may well look with pride and admlra-
tiOn.
happened 10 be- connected with that /
fight lie had mo- telephone IN his 4
house: and SO | took a common street \
cab. which cost me only seyentynv 4
cents 90 take me In the out-of-t the.way .
part o. the city where this really \
great maj lived Ii was bitterly
conl night. such as we rarely see In
Washington Tn the way We passed a
carriage magnificent and set elegant II
IN It's Sumptuoua but suhdued rich.
ness n Was drawn by two splendid
horses: and two expensively aitiFed
men nat on the box. This imposlng
array was carrying "A certain public
man 20 some gorgeous entertainment.
Vet the senator whom ! Mas going 10
rse was worth. IN hla practical value
40 the American nsnltN MANY men alkN