, 1873-09-29
THE WEALTH OF THE COUNTRY.

though extremely uaofui, aro not capable OF bo-
ing appropriated, and therefore aro not woa1th
Greonbacls aro not wealth but moroly insttu-
nonts for exchanging wealth, having tho prop
crty attached to thonl by inv Of being legal
tondor in payment of debts, and having tho
promise attaolea to them Of being redeemed by
the Government In coin. Strike off tho Goyor,1-
mont promise to redeom them. aud tl,ey would
soon cease to bo Of any valuo, although thoy
could be used as counters, or gamblcra' checks,
III paying debts, tho last holder gotting nothing
hut dofaced pictures mud printed words, not worth
tho price Of lucifor matcl to sot them on flro.
Tho aoarch for wealth iy tho principal occupa-
tion Of man since tho primoyal command to oarn
our bread by labor. Man las bnon engaged In
producing what is necessary in tho way Of food
and clothing, md comfort for himself and fam
lily, and accumulatiug surplus that will enable
him to rost from labor, to onjoy bostor food,
better clothing, aud greater comforts. Capital
is tho unconsumed surplus products Of labor,
and the accumulation Of capital is the groat oc-
cupation, aim, Thought, aud hopo OF mankind.
embraces evory variety Of industry, md ia ON
bodied III tho general torn, industry and CON-
morco. Tho ontiro humnn family ia ongagcd in
Hoeking wealth. The romotest tribe i'll tho ro-
motost 1aud produce and traffic; while among
civilized nations tho pursuit of wealth ia tho
leadiug science of lis statesmen and philoso-
phcrs. Wealth admits of many definitions, ro-
mantc, poetical, and sentimental but tho
woath which mankind socks ia tho accumulated
means whereby mon can purchase or obtain TINT
liess, and their enjoyment.
In 1870, tho value OF tho property held
by tho American people, that is to ray, tho
value Of tho realized wealth. consisting of lauds,
buildings, goods, wares, merchandise, whoat,
corn, animals Of all kinds, tools and implements,
machinery. aud things nctually prodtccd-prop-
erty Visible to the oyo, capable Of being haudlcd,
and oil Of substantial form and shape, and each
part oxchangcablo ut its full value for any other
part tho yalue Of oil this realized wealth
amounted to a300Cs, ,518, GOT, or oycr thirty thou-
sand millions Of dollars, as measured by tho
grconbnck standard Tlis did not include the
lands or other property Owned by tho Gouc,t,-
nlent OF the United States. This sum represents
the uggrogato Of what the American people llayo
accumulated Of articles needed for human COM
fort, maintenance, and support, what they have
dug from the earth, raiscd in tho fields, cut from
the forest, fashioned with thor hands, and pro-
ducod by their labor.
Tho country ut this moment presents tho sin-
gular spectacle Of forty millions of intelligent
people, owning and holding thlrty thousand mill
ions Of dollars Of visible, tangiblo property, I'M
pressed with tho notion that they hive got
nothing, and engaged in q frantio struggle to
convort thoir actual. substantial wealth into
fow pieces of groon paper on which aro printed
promises to pay, ut Bono inloflnito tilne, d few
hundred millions Of dollars; tho said printed
promises bearing no interest and yielding no
income, and having only tho magic property OF
dscharging debts botwoon individuals.
There is juAt now advertised III all tho paporna
lottery to take place at Louisville next winter
aud mon arc invited to purcha8o certain prom-
isoH. printed On green paper, that within six
months tho managers will distribute among tho
purchasers of those promises 10 or 60 per cent
Of tho aggregate sum thoy may pay in. II any
man woro to attempt to convert all his property
into tickets In that lottery hts friends and fam-
lily could, and ought to, apply to tho courts
for his dotontion as a lunato, and hayo guar-
dian appointed to manage his estate. uardlyloss
Inconsistent with reaBon ia tho panio-insprel
conduct of t1o men who aftor do1ying and toll
Ing MI thoir liyoa to accumulate a littlo woalth
arc eolling that property as rapidly aa possible
and at groat sacrifices, to got possession Of
greenbackH, moro barron and unproductiyo
promises to pay in tho Indefinite hereafter, mud
burying thoso notes III tho ground, In vaults,
and other hiding -p'ncoH.
ono month ago, tho man who would hayo
hoardoa greonbaoka would hnyo been pro-
nounccd insano. Since thut time thoro l!as boen
no losB Of property; 10 din,nution Of tho wealth
of the country; nothing real has been dcstroyod
everything substantial rotains its full aud uu-
diminished value and all still In tho hands of
tho people. And MI because Jay Cooko and
Horny CLOVIS hayo failed. We arc not without
hopo that with tho largo arrivals Of currency md
with tho roopcning Of tho suspended banks, poo-
plo may begin to ask themselves whether 1t ia
roally truo that oil tho good things Of this world
have passed. away-that all tho houses, ani
food. and clothing. aud furniture, and fuel huyo
boon lost In Cimmorian darltnoHs
--.-.-..-..=.-m.A.
Omaha laa Hotol Credit Mobiller, which is
creating considerable cxcltomont. A fow auyH'
ainco, NO stated III paragraph that citlzens OF
Omaha WHO Ind subscribed several thousand
dollars towards furnishing tho Grand Central
1fotol In that city had rofusod to pay, bccauso
tho Stockholders changed its namo to tho Pull
man Hotel. moro serious trouble llaa now fall
on upon It, III tho AAapo of suit brought hy