Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-24

the service Of the republic and remaining
there. n the present tendency goes on Il
will not be a quarter OF a century until
this government Of. by and for the people
will be conducted exclusively by enormously
wealthy men.
Discussing the whole subject. one OF these
wealthy public men. OF most admirable
qualities for the great once he holds said
After all. there are places in Washington
where q man can live on his salary"
The answer 20 this, OF course, was that
while this might be true. he would have to
live In such quarters and on such food and
generally In such discomfort as to make
life hard for himself and positively I'M
endurable for his family Again. no man
can do his best work who IL In a perpetual
state u apology and humiliation. Still
again his constituents would be ashamed
OF such a condition OF living II they knew
about u.
Also such a public man Is at an un-
spoakable disadvantage compared with the
rich man with whom he works: the one
can entertain all visitors TO Washington
the other cannot The one can entertain
his colleagues, the other cannot. The one
can accept the hospitality OF his associates
because he In turn can offer hospitality;
the other cannot accept this hospitality and
retain his self respect because he cannot
by any possible means return IT, This
matter Of entertaining IL IN itself an
absurdly influential factor In Washington
life--influontial with the senator's or con-
gressman's constituents who are visiting
Washington and even more influential In
Legislation.
Advantages Of the wealthy.
Thus the millionaire in national public
! life has an incalcuinble advantage over
tho poor man IN public life II would be
hard. too. 20 reckon tho weight which
free hnnded social intercourse has upon the
shaping OF national policies and the enact
ment OF practical Legislation. When public
men and their wives meet at the home OF
another public man. Blt about his brilliant
| board and mlngio afterward IN charming
and Intimate conversation. a subtle bond
is established which has It's effect here in
| America. just an tho same cause has pro-
duced the same result in England and in
every other country at all periods OF his
| tory.
But tho public man who amid these
surroundings. must live on his salary can.
not attend these functions. Any gowns
| that he might buy for his wife and daugh-
| tiers would look shabby and grotesque com.
| pared with the elegant equipment OF their
| more fortunate sisters. Such a man may
| be far ADLER and more industrious
than his rich colleague, and vet all
| these natural abilities are neptralized b,
| the purely artificial influence Of social en-
! tertainment In which the rich man in
| dulges. In comparison the poor public mar
and his family must live in an attitude oil
/ perpetual apology. And why should THU
| be7
Decidedly the rich man who Is not pre-
| eminent in craftsmanship must CO. De
! oidedly also the demogogue must go. Dc
! cidedly something more than millions anC
a purchased public reputation on the on,
hand and flaming appeals 20 passion an;
class hatred on the other hand must b.
! required Of would-be public men II thu
government Of, by and for the people 4
not to be run exclusively by Croesus anC
/ Jack Cade.