Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-12-22
$ suiI The IDEA OF Wealth.

| LII is SAl4 Inc Iuea VI Wedltu'
was worthA that John jacob Astor, who never
yiscd mdhalf as much as his son now is, ad
not to tryn who had made good start in life,
veSatio to be WEALTHY, adding: {" It's only
dred thsn; n man who has four or five hun
were rictusand dbllars, is as well off as if he
he erredl" The millionaire was right, or if
We cat, it was in the height of his estimate 4
needs-F use a little money for our personal
give awnot muqh and as to the rest, we can
ii wisclay a llttl lc-not great deal, if we give
| dcn--k"ss,. AftEr that. the remainder is bur.
the cay '"ees e pad, which wears man out in
worth be " IT, Suppose the case OF "a man
lars, and & 'eiF forty and fifty millions of dol
lie would REG are not a few such in the world.
made productive on this property, if it were
| cent, or $2live, a round income of five per
have 10 clea,250, 900 rcr unnun. Now, VIC
than we havrer idea of two millions of dollars,
deal of moyc of forty millions 1t is great
make it nhcy; VIC must reduce it again to
We wiInageablc
reader is 4 suppose that the income of the
above theE 400 per annum, which is much
ly at the Iavcruge. If he receives it regular
dollars afnd of his day work, it will be six
iicient shd siXty.seven cents per dicm-a sue
supportTl Tlm Oh which large family may be
thing TOD, and children educated, with some
betwccYsparc for the poor. The difference
Astor this amply provided person and Mr.
s6,O00k that the latter receives more than
If fcvcry day.
hardcYho six dollar man thinks he works any
mSta9 than he of the six thousand, he is much
more kcn; it he thinks that the other enjoys
crrorl substantial comfort, he is equally in
ton e should have great deal of consdera.
h.iNdt n1 NV for -,
havk thorns, and are finer to look at than to
parf in the hand. The owner of the shining
car3erre is, after all, not as well off as the
wlJlcss paSscr,hy, who enjoys all its beauties
ththout one of its responsibilities. There is
VIZ responsibility of bencvolcncc, for example.
aNerybody says that rich man ought to give
nsRy great deal of money. This requires
%tTsmal degree of good Judgment. A wide
fEd ndlScrninatc alms.giving does no good
'fson the contrary, much harm. The laws Of
pod and nature as to private thrift arc ident-
lbal There is niggardincss, to be sure,
Which is easily strengthened in the human
Ihcert and which turns it, at length, into II
ipTchmcnt money-pursc. But no mau's heart
needs to fall into this shrvelcd condition
IAcrc are safe outlets for money enough to
save the thrifticst of men from such a drying
ap. Even Mr.. Cr~sus Bags, burdcncd as he
Joy involuntary accaaaSty5vSSS eA.r.,G 4 4ffiid
inc. .he means ssiS'5ay,ng himself. But the notion
iii e. IA man ought to give away everything
that he gains, beyond the comfortable support
Of himself and his immediate dependencies, is
is a hurtrul falacy. y man who is In health,
is not morally entitled to anything which he
does not earn. Aud, as all moral laws arc
found to be consistent with each other, it is
uscertaincd that the acquisition OF uncarned-
money is almost uniformly a damage, rather
than Il bcucft The moment man is thus
endowed, nature struggles to restore her stan
dard of equilibrium, by disposscssing HIM,
and reducing him to his former position. The
brief stay of inherited possessions, in the alb
sencc of legal protection for the mere inherit
oncc of fraudulent gains, and of wastciul
charities. is the evidence. There are plentiful
instances of real need, of cases i'll which pal
liutiye help is necessary, and in which it may
not be rightly withheld. Those who are ready
to perish from want those who are in crcum-
stances of spiritual tlcsttution; those who are
earnestly helping themselves against ODDS
those who arc unwilling to receive aims and
can scarcely be induced to take it; are to be
! found everywhere, and afford an ample oppor-
tunity to dcplete dangerous wealth. Nol
, should VIC always turn away from the whining
~ mCndicant, whether he come III ci"N"V any
broadcloth, or in rags; sometimes even h'
y may have claim upon us. We should hco
II and judge.
&c Wealth belongs to some men, just as inte
"a lcct belongs to others. They would oe rIlc
y, anywhere, Just MS their envious neighbol
would be poor anywhere
At At an agrarian meeting in this city, abo,
no twenty years ago gcntclnan of property oil
II. ~. taincd a hearing and forcibly argued th
~ or point. Addressing sailor near him. wi
~ ~. had been prominent u the proceedings, !
ri. asked:
est m "What would you have me do with
cts money! 49,, =.
90 "Dividc it equally among us ALL" rcpli
his Jack.
he "That would give us about $40 each a
.Io tomorrow | should have 50 90 OF mine lie
mir while yours would be gone. What then I!
,cr. "Shivcr my timbcrs " exclaimed the 81
,se. ~, or, in pcrplcxity, why-thcn divide again
'so 'os World
pro- OPINION is the great pillar that uphc
: the commonwealth.
lStl-