The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-09-14
WHAT A RICH MAN OWES,

81 can pay my way, and am obliged to
nobody" is frequent expression OF the
selfish rich man. We fancy we can see
him, as he utters it, with his purse-proud.
defiant look, buttoning up his pocket as if
he thought you thief 80 =.
You can pay your way. can you? you
are obliged to nobody? Good sir, we
don't believe you know what you say.
That you can pay your pecuniary debts,
we have no doubt, but these, il seems to
us, are the least part Of your Obligations.
You owe duties to society as a man, a
citizen, and millionaire, of which. per-
haps, you have never thought; certainly
not as debts TO be paid, in your own per-
son, and by an expenditure of your own
time, and thought and money. My dear
sir, consider this well. Do not live and
die in the false belief that, because you
owe this debt TO society in the abstract
heaven will never require its payment at
your hands Do not imagine either that
you can delegate its liquidation to others
No well-salaried minister, no sleek visitor
Of the poor can become your mddle.man
in this matter, doing your work for you.
Manopolize your time in mere money ma
king, and suffer your heart to grow hard
as steel, as all hearts will that never come
into contact directly with human misery.
81 can pay my way" you say, Il am
obliged to nobody" Perhaps, as you ut
ter these words, you look. rebukingly at
some poor debtor who has failed to meet
his engagements. Beware. oh! rich man
"judge not; lest ye bejudged" You know
not what defects Of early training, what
cruel disasters of fortune, what treachery
on the part Of others may have led to his
bankruptcy. With all his errors and even
faults, for. probably he has not been en-
tirely free from either, he may yet be
better man, taken all in all, than you, with
your bankstock, your mortgages, your
ships, and your real estate. He may not
neglect his children, as you, absorbed in
your speculations, probably do, leaving
their moral training to others, instead of
experimenting it yourself. He may be
truer husband, not acting as you perhaps
do, as if wife was either slave or
plaything, and not campanion. He may
be a kinder friend, more conscientious
citizen, man better imbued with the thou
sand sympathies ofhumanity. Believe US.
there are more crimes than being in debt,
though, where debt comes from impru-
-dence or reckless spirit Of speculation, ii
is, heaven knows, bad enough.
81 can pay my way" you say, III am
obliged to nobody" You are obliged on
the contrary. to every fellow creature with
whom you are thrown into contact, either
in social life or in business. Without
their, courtesy, their attention, their kind
ness, their society. you would be the most
miserable creature alive. Every hour you
live you are indebted to some fellow. being
for some attention or other, and ii is only
because they are so freely and commonly
given, like the air OF heaven, that you do
not realize their value. The time will come,
if it has not come already, when some
great family affection shall teach you that.
with all your riches, you are but frail
helpless, human creature; and in that hour
Of grief and heart-wrung agony, you will
recognize at last. even if for moment, the
precious boon Of human symbalhy; you
will feel how much you owe, alter all, to
your fellows. fgesl
Thank heaven! all rich-men are not like