The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-02-22

the present influence Of wealth. The
statement that 1--WE would in all likell-
hood regard it as a reflection on our
nation to select for our president
man as poor as Lincoln was Is wholly
without excuse. Lawyers fees were
smaller then than now. but so were
most other forms of compensation. Mr..
Lincoln was a successful lawyer. en-
gagged I'M some large cases, and he
was no pauper even If it may have
been convenient for him 70 borrow
some ready money at the time OF his
inauguration
Mr.. Taft was born 10 a competence
hut not a great fortune, 3 His wife is
understood to have had some for
tune, but ne practIced his profess
sion until he went on the bench
since which time he has generally
been in receipt of an official salary.
Mr.. Roosevelt is nearly If not quite
the only president who never earned
his own living. He was born to some
thing better than a competence, and
he has never praeticed a profession
or carried on business. lie has writ
ten a good deal, and probably made
some money by his books He has al
so held Office, but on moderate sal
aries until elected governor of New
York. Mr.. Mckinley had very little
except his congressional salary until
elected president. Mr.. Harrison was
long at the head of the Indiana bar
but when he died his estate was little
more than 100000. and probably
good deal of this was acquired after
he retired from the presidency, when
some valuable cases came TO, him. as
they are apt to come 10 "A lawyer who
hsa been conspicuous in public life.
Tor example, 1t is said that Gov. Black
Of New York has made a million doll
lars out of his profession since he re-
tired from office.
MIR. Cleveland was n lawyer in
moderate practice. and needed the
salary which was paid to him for sew
eral years as a trustee of the Equit-
able company His wife had a mod
crate fortune but he did not marry
until after his Inauguration. Mr..
Hayes inherited a large fortune, but
not until after he became president.
Gen. Grant didn't have a cent except
his salary and his presents.
Unquestionably the possession of a
great fortune would be regarded to-
day as dsquallfying a man for the
presidential nomination, though he
might be nominated for vice prcs-
dent with the expectation. cynically
expressed by Senator ingalls,, that he
would pay a large part Of the cam
paign expenses.
Nor is 1t true that Mr.. Lincoln
was elected BY the people in any
sense different from that in which
president will be elected by the
people this year II is gretesquely UNI
true that then the people governed
themselves; now we are largely ruled
often dictated to-" except in so Car as
present-day issues fail to interest the
people enough 10 arouse them to ac-
ton. The republic has not changed;
the people are not the victims of an
oligarchy or plutocracy or anything eX-
cept their own indifference. When
the issues were slavery and the into
gritty Of the nation people felt intensely
and acted energetically. The tariff
and conservation and corporations do
not move the people as the issues OF 80
or so years ago did, and they are too
apt to leave matters to the professional
politicians But there We're plenty of
those i'm Lincoln's time and some OF
them We're no better than those that
we have To deal wlth.-Philadelph
Records.