Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-12-17
Wealth and Improvement
For ths Fayetteville ubseryer

nlR. EDIToR-Cry aloud, spare
not, lift up thy voice like trurn-
pet, show my people their trans
erosion, and the house Of Jacob
their SINS" Such were the words
of Him,
s'who touchedst Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire."
and we suppose will serve as we'll
for the secular as the sacred
preacher.
We have once before preached
to this "dear dying people" on the
folly Of expecting wealth to accom-.
plish anything for the good Of the
country. We endeavored to show
what this country might have been,
if tile wealth had been liberal and
patriotic; and contrasted it with
our present tout of the world" sit
uation. We defied then our veal
thy men, 1--WE suppose we ought to
thank heaven that they are few, to
point to one monument of their lib
erality or public spirit. If there
is such a thing in Lincoln county
as great public work, whether
for the profit of the builder, or for
the people, for which the people
are indebted to the rich men, we
do not now know what it is. Our
memory, observation, and expert
ence bear US out in this. There
may be exceptions to the above,
but it is certainly the general rule.
1t is the rule the world over
that the heavier the wealth be-
comes the harder is it to move
Philosophy and experience prove
that lighter bodies are much more
easily moved. The minnie balls
did a great deal more execution in
battle than the heavy masses of
iron from the batteries. In critic
al situations the batteries them
selves would throw grape and can
lister.
Now we need in Lincoln county
another railroad, a number of
turnpikes, manufactures, church.
es, schools and a number of other
things. Some OF these things are
almost necessities. How is the
thing to be done We naturally
turn to those who hold the money
to obtain it for our works, but this
is not the true policy.
Rich Mr.. A. will give from
$1,000 to $4,000 to railroads, while
Mr.. B. will give from 5000 to
$500. CA. is worth 80 or 100
times as much as b. They will
give about the same amount to
turnpikes - sometimes B. gives
more to churches and schools than
A. does. The BIS build more nice
residences than the AS, thus en-.
couraging the mechanics, and i'm
proving the appearance of the
country and the taste of the PEG.
pie. The AS send their children
off to fashionable schools and col.
! leges as soon as they are little
advanced, and thus manage to
spend a,oay from home the most
of the money required for their
education. In this respect, how
ever, too many of the BIS ape the
style of the rich AS and spend as
much of their money away from
home as they can. If all this
money were spent at home, fine
schools might be kept up right at
our doors all the time. The AS
will not build pixies, because they
will increase the value of their
property and they will have more
taxes to pay ; and the BIS will
ride to town year after year
through the mud and over rocks,
because the AS will not help them
build the pixies. Now, Messrs. B.,
could there be a sweeter revenge
than to build the pike by Mr.. AS
door and force him pay taxes in
proportion to the increased value
of his land or other property, while
you have only in the proportion of
l to SO or 100?
Now good people, that feel an
interest in the advancement and
improvement of your county, you
must make your calculations to do
the work for yourselves. We have
seen numerous subscription papers
with the names of rich men on
them, and mite at the end of
them. This is always discoura-
ging, and throws cold water on
whatever is attempted. Now is it
wise to seek this cold water !?
Therefore we say, don't ask rich
men to help you at all. We can