Evening star., 1922-12-31

! D0TL I1OONeTS ne"
American Individualism." which
reads: That our system has avoided
the establishment and domination of
class has a significant proof in the
present administration in Washing
ton. OF the twelve men comprising
the President, Vice President and
cabinet, nine have earned their own
way without economic inheritance
and eight of them started with
manual labor
AS a matter of fact, Mr.. Hoover
might have put it the other way
! around, gone a little farther and
| stated, only two have earned their
/; own way with economic inheritance"
for it takes only a hasty survey of
i the biographies of the present cabi-
net members to show that. with the
| exception of Secretaries Mellon and
Denby, the rest started life "on their
own" and, with the exception Of Sec
retary Hughes of the State Depart
ment, all began with manual labor.
How They Got Start.
| President Harding started as a
printers devil" Secretary Hughes
was the son Of Baptist preacher in
! a small town. Vice President Cool
idge and Secretaries Weeks and Wal
lace, Attorney General Daugherty and
! Postmaster General Work were the
sons of struggling farmers and all of
them worked as farmhands. Secre-
1 tary Hoover was the son of a village
blacksmith. although his father was
: an educated man. Secretary Fall. son
| of a Confederate soldier was a pio-
neer and served as cowboy and
! prospector in the west when it was
| truly wild Secretary Davis, erst-
while iron puddIer, was the son of a
poor Welsh immigrant whose first
I experience with democratic America
was to be robbed of virtually all his
hard- earned worldly goods.
! Mr.. Harding's rise from a printers
| ''devir' to the White House has been
advertised far and wide. and con-
| ttnues to be, 50 that the majority of
newspaper readers are more or less
| familiar with his career. Secretary
Davis is another whose picturesque
biography is rather well known. But
| Mr.. Hoover probably is the first to
cite proof of opportunity in a de-
mocracy by pointing to the present
cabinet. which has been termed by its
less informed critics rich mans
cabinet"
Worked Despite Inheritance.
Nor does the fact that Secretary
Mellon and Secretary DENLY were
born with economic inheritances de-
!
have accomplished in life. 1t only
proves that they. too. possess the
| stuff which has enabled them TO
double the talents with which they
were endowed at birth. Mr. Mellon
was the son of a Pittsburgh Judge,
| who. upon his retirement from the
bench. established the banking house
OF I. Mellon & Sons. Upon the pres
ent secretary's graduation from the
| University of Pittsburgh. he entered
his fathers banking house. becom-
ing partner year later He has
| since become one of the worlds rich
est men.
=. Secretary DENLY, the other cabinet
member who was given something of
a start in life by the fortune which
favored his father. was the son of a
former United States minister to
China. He spent part of his youth
in China, received his schooling at
the University Of Michigan and Is by
profession lawyer. He has made a
fortune in the automobile industry.
But as for the rest of them, those
who have literally risen from rags
to riches'-though they do not all
measure their wealth in terms of
dollars and cents-a brief glance at
their biographies is sufficient. The
imagination should be allowed to do
the rest.
Coolidge Early in Politics.
Vice President Coolidge was born
and spent most of his youth on a
Vermont farm. He graduated from
Amherst College at the.age of twenty
three and after q law course began
his practice In Northampton, Mass.
He entered politics early in life.
serving as city solicitor. mayor, a
member In the state house of repre-
sentatives and senate, lieutenant gov
ernoT and governor of Massachusetts,.
and finally to his present office of
Vice President of the United Statea
Mr.. Coolidge is not a rich man, and
his friends recall that while he was
governor of Massachusetts his execu-
tive mansion consisted of one room
in small Boston hotel.
Secretary of State Charles E.
Hughes, son of q Baptist minister,
was born in Glens Falls, n. L, and
shortly after his birth his family
moved to Newark. n. j., where Mr..
he was eleven years old. His family
tthen moved to New York city. and in
1875 Mr.. Hughes graduated from the
city public schools as salutatorian
of his class His oration was con-
sidered q remarkable piece Of work
for lad Of thirteen. He graduated
from Brown University with honors
at the age of nineteen. He studied
law at Columbia. completing his
course at the age of twenty-five
and beginning work In his profession
as q clerk in a law office. Secretary
Hughes first attracted public atten-
ton through his work as special ex-
aminer for tho renowned Armstrong
committee Of the New York state
legislature and the subsequent insur-
| ance scandals Of 1905. His service as
Governor Of New York. his appoint
ment to the Supreme Bench, his
nomination for President of the
United States and the prominent part
he has taken in President Hardings
cabinet are we'll known.
St>rtoxa nm the Enr,n