The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-06-18
LIMITS OF LUXURY.

What can money do for man? It is clear
that the richest millionaire cannot spend upon
himself, and for his own enjoyment, more than
limited sum of money. Of course, the ac-
quired tastes of civilized life are bottomless
pit, into which he can throw any amount that
he chooses. If he takes to horse racing, or pic
ture buying he may go as far as he likes in the
way of expenditure, and the taste, like the
horse-leech's daughter, will still cry "GlVe!
But for every necessary personal comfort ana
luxury-a carriage, good horse to ride, good
dinner to eat-he cannot make away with a
vast sum. The man of fifty thousand year
can do no more 10 this line than the man of five
thousand; except that as the farmers notion of
good dinner was two legs Of mutton and two
plum puddings, he may have stable full of
horses, and half dozen carriages. Beyond a
certain necessary sum, the largest income In the
world can do no more for mans own personal
and corporea enjoyment than the possession of
moderate income. But, then, on the other
hand, it crafty his vanity or ambition, aud
that to a boundless extent. Like prophecy
which works out its own fulflment, the belief
that money brings happiness, makes all men en-
Wy the monied The race for wealth, vigorous
ly contested it is, confers certain fictitious
advantages upon the winners The possessor of
large fortune in these days, acquires an amount
Of respect and consideration, which used to be
accorded oaly to birth. Now, without going so
far to say with Swift, that money means lib
erty, or, with the world at large, that it is re-
spectability, aud health, and friendship, and
culture, and society, and every earthly blessing,
it is impossible to deny that it gratfes, to a
very large extent, very natural passion of the
human breast, the desire of cxcelling other peo-
pie. 1t is unfortunate, perhaps, that the stan
dard of happiness which society proposes to it.
self should be purely materialistic. But so long
as everybody is running toward the same goal,
the fortunate few who reach it wiI Of course,
be envied by the ruck, and will suppose them
selves to be proper objects of envy and admi-
ration.
But then, if, as we say, the rich man is in no
worse position, regards the pursuit of happi-
ness than the poor man, 10 spite of the afhr
nations of foolish moralists to the contrary, it
would be hard to prove that he is in any better
position. 1t will be said that the qualification
of natural desire must bear it's fruit 10 produc.
ing content and selfsatisfaction. Yet it would
seem that this pleasure is only momentary
stimuant at best. Success, after a man has
reached his goal, becomes very matter-of-fact
affair. A man who is made bishop or judge,
for instance probably does not at all take the
thing the outside world supposcs. In the
first place, he has been for long time gradual
ly drawing near to this end. He does not gain
it per sohtune. He has not been looking at it
Of late from very much lower level. He is
little pleased, perhaps, at first with the idea
that he has cut out and so, who had been
named with him for the appointment, and that
he has distanced such and such old college
friends. But the thought Of increased respon-
sibility aud work soon comes in to drive out the
pleasant titillations of grati6ed vanity. Aud,
in fact, he soon begins to 6nd the nere dignity
in itself rather nuisance than otherwise. And
the rich man, who has built up lis own fortune,
and found it very pleasant a. first to associate
with people he had once looked up to, and to
receive their congratulations, soon grows tired
of his rattle, and probably discovers that, in
some respects, it is very much of bore. He
fnds that his wealth exposes him to many in
conveniences, if it also supplies him with many
luxures. He becomes mark and an aim for
all the people who want to profit by it. OF
course his money gives him great opportunities
Of doing good in the world if he chooses. And
people fancy that the relief of necessities which
are continually being brought before him must
afford continual gratifca ton to the good rich
man. But the fact is, that, like the American
millionaire, who keeps a secretary to burn the
two hundred applications he receives FROM me-
cessitous people every day of his lie, rich men
in general have absolutely to decline all person
al interference in the affairs of the needy. If
they do good at all, they do it on large scale;
they found a hospital or build churches To
investigate daily the cases of two hundred needy
applicants in all parts of the world, would be a
Herculean task which few people would care
to take upon their shoulders, and no person
would manage satisfactorily. And, therefore,
the qualification to be obtained from wealth as a
means Of benefcence, is, by no means, what the
world generally supposes it to be.-Imperial
RerieH