Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-12-19
WEALTH AND MISERY.
ny NON. nosERr DALE owrs.
( C,niipued from our last issue.


SrnAssE almost, slmost Incredible, Q
il may appear, thi, il, literally true
anil any one, vao will take the troubl.
to examine tha subject attcn,ively, maj
satisfy himself that is so. The fact
VIC are convinced, admits not Of denial
AMI what a lesson does it real to US,
1t tells US. that one fortisih part Of th
present wealth Of Great Britain formcl,
afor Icl her population subsistence an
comfort. But that population does no
require more food an clothing and 9th
er necessaHes, Chat is, moro wealth
now, than they dill t en-; as then
great number Of British la,,orers hav'
not, at this moment, wherewilh to sub
,ist in comfor-lhe direct an necessa
~ inference is, tha. by some mea~s o.
other, large proportion o! Great Brit
aims working population is not suhere'
10 enjoy SO much as one fortieth part o
the wealth they produce. The othc
thirIy.nine forieths are used, or dissip pa
ted, or destroyed in some way or other
by some persons other than the prolu
GERS. atE T--
Can these things be so {? They are so
anl the fact is demonstratel Then by
what strange fatality has fact like thi,
been overlooked by Legislators and b.
mo lefa political economists? 4 know
not, unless il, be because mankind have
been unfortunately, ttainel 10 despise
what's plain and simple anil usclul
AMI 10 look for knowledge ahl.enjoy.
ment to those productions Of the mini
anil body, VIII ose acquisition costa pain
and labor: or, perhaps, because the
fact was thought too sriking and daa.
gerous to be made known to the public.
Now, with such fac, before US, what
shall we say Of the present distress in
Great Britain f? cl.
1t cannot be produced by the taxes,
imposed BY her goverHseni, large as
they appear. Niles, ,jd his weekly reg.
lister. (of the % September, Is26.) es.
timales these at IO3 dollars per man pet
annum this estimate is higher than any
other have seen, but suppose il. accu.
rate. One hundred and three dollars
represent scarcely as much wealth as is
sufficient TO support family ;,his can
not, therefore, be more than one foftielh
Of BriIain's wealth; because one for.
tielh Of that wealth di! formerly, anl
therefore nigh, sill, afrorI to each fam.
lily a comfortable subsistence. /, fol.
lows, that Britain's taxes, excessive
lhous they be, abstract at mast one for.
lieth only of the wealth produced by her
inhabitants leaving the abstraction Of
thirty isht fortielhs OF each workman, I,
produce unaccountel for.
Z: Itis evident, therefore, that the Goa !.
clusion at which Mr.. Niles arrives. in
the otherwise ably written article to
which we ALLUDED above, is incorrect.
His conclusion is, that Britain's distress
arises from the extravagant demands OF
her government and clergy in the shape
of taxes; now, though these taxes may,
and certainly do, in some degrea, add 10
BIitain's present misery, yet | proved.
as think -conclusively, that this is a
cause totally inadequate TO produce
more than q very small portion Of the
evil complained Of -. a..
The question recurs: Whence, then,
this enormous evi !! Are we TO look for
its cause in The increase of scientific
powerin other countries, rivals 10 Grea.
Britain by which they are enabled to
produce for themselves d? .s-.,....
Doubtless the gradual anl general
Of scientific power through. :.
ont tho worl, must ultimately ruin
Great Britain, if she persists in her
present system Of commerce; every days
experience is proof of this.-Bat this
fact is nothing more than an evidence
Of the wretchel tendency Of the com
mercial system. Must IT,. British starcc
because their nsigh6ors learn to increase
their owa production Of srealth? By
wha, sophi>try will molern legislators
attempt TO convince US, that the, IN
crease Of wealth in France, or Spain,
or the United States, or any where else,
NECESSARILY pro luces dimination Of
wealth in Great Britain! uo SID :
The fact that it does produce that
effect" they will perhaps tell US. sis
enough"
1t is indeel enough but for what?
Enough 10 prove 10 the worl | that ,ys.
tenn which bases Englanl's commercial
prosperity on the poverty AMI adyersty
Of ne!shhoring nations, erects that pros
peri,y on a sandy foundation the tide
Of improvement, as Il rises, will beat
against it, aid great will be the fall
thereof. . Ia ~ .a9
MOI in Britain's system Of taxation,
then, extravagant though it be, anl ruin.
GUS though it appear ;'nor yet in the in
creasing wealth and growing CONNER
cial independence Of her neishbors-
must we look for the real cause Of her
strange. and anomalous, situation. 1t
must be sought for sIswhere.
Great Bfiian has learned to produce
wealth, AMI does produce il most ubun.
dainty, but she has not learned to dis.
tribute it, and hence her present dis.
tress. ea 3 w&sQl aG gt
Wealth. as we have already s.a,e,l,
consists in great variety Of products;
and man, to live in comfori, requires a
certain portion Of each Of these.
Now tits evident that IL each one,
could produce for Aimself all the va.