The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-10
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA THURSDAY MORNING MARCH 10, 1910
The Drift Towards
Plutocracy.

We find a majority of our United
states senators, as well as representa-
tives in congress, men of considerable
wealth. It is necessary that they be
rich; otherwise, they could not land the
coveted goal. And because it costs
more to make a senator nowadays
than it used to need not be taken as
an indication that we are getting our
moneys worth, as it we're. We are
getting no better service, and indeed
not as good service in most instances,
than we got twenty-five and fifty years
ago when men went in Office on their
merits.
It is regrettable that congress has
been converted into a Rich Mems
Club. 1t is no guarantee of better
service and is a bad precedent. The
question is, where will it all end
How much worse will these conditions
be tomorrow than today?
Discussing this, the estimable At
lanta Georgian says:
In the recent district primary which
was held in Georgia to elect a sue
cessor to the late Congressman Griggs,
each candidate was required to dance
to the tune OF 81 900 in order to meet
legitimate expenses.
Less than six months ago the news
papers of Florida were discussing the
exorbitant sums which candidates for
the United States senate were forced
to spend.
One of the Maryland dailies recently
made the statement that it would cost
Senator Rayner not less than $17,5OO
to secure his reelection to the upper
house, despite the fact that he was
unopposed.
If the rail-splitter, Honest Old
Abe" could return to life, what would
he think of his government "of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie, especially if he could see an
Itemized budget of expenses in the last
Republican campaign. =
Few OF the men who shaped national
legislation in this country during the
ante-bellum days were large property
OWNERS. Even the men who repre-
sented the South in Washington unde,
the old slavery regime were, as a rule
men of modest circumstances, and
some, like Alexander H. Stephens
We're comparatively poor.
But the number or millionaires In
politics today is legion.
And to quote an apt phrase, the cos
OF getting there" has become so ereat
under existing conditions that moo
men, however well equipped in ment a
furnishings. are virtually debarret
from entering the competitive lists.
The drift toward pIuctoracy is alto
gether too marked for a government
which purpoTts to be republican il
character. -
And while we still preserve tbt
molds, it is to be feared that we ar,
losing the spirit of democratic institu
lions. -l'' u ~
AS matter of fact if we must com,
TO choose our representatives as he
tween the very rich and those of mod
crate means, it would seem the wise
thing to do to accept the latter class
\ majority of us-yes, the great ma
lorlty OF us are of the class known q,
the Common People. The wealthy ar,
! decidedly in the minority, and Will,
we do not believe in class rule, W,
are having that sort of government
even now, and We are sure This 70
public would not be the loser were W,
TO revert back to the old system q
weighing every man in the balance he
fore commits '0ning him to look afta
our affairs at WASHINGTON