Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-05-01
NATIONAL WEALTH.

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like the several individuals of which they are
composed. The characteristics of the several
parts, when united, form the characteristics
of the whole. If the individuals Of which a
community, town, city or nation is composed,
are all uncivilized, this must, as matter Of
course, be the state of the community. Ma
tional wealth must be estimated in the same
way that national civilization is reckoned. In
this respect, as in every other, the condition
of the whole mass of the people, individually
and collectively, must be considered. A few
individuals, however wealthy or influential,
cannot be regarded as nation. They can
not, even with propriety, be regarded as an
index of the condition of the nation. When
national wealth is considered, the wealth Of
the masses must be estimated. In this case,
as in many others, majorities rule.
A nation may be regarded as family. If
majority of the members of the family are
poor, the whole family must be regarded as
poor; and on the contrary, if the majority
are rich, the whole family is wealthy. BY
an irreversible law of nature which governs
and controls men socially, the possessions of
the whole have to be divided by the whole
number of individuals which compose the
family or nation. In community of ten
miles square, there may be one thousand
individuals. One of this number, we will
suppose, is very rich but the remaining nine
hundred and ninety-nine are worth nothing.
Notwithstanding the apparent great wealth
of this one individual, he is, when all the cir
cumstances are considered, poor. His condi-
tion may 6tly be compared to single stalk
of corn growing in rich and fertile field of
ten acres. 1t may be large and Aourishing
stalk of corn, and may yield several large
and sound ears, but the yield will be for the
whole ten acres, and will, necessarily, be COM
paratively nothing. Fifty thousand stalks
of corn might have grown in the ten acre
field and each produced as many, and as large,
and as sound ears as this one stalk. In this
case the field would have been productive
field.
It is evident that whatever has tendency
to develop the natural resources of a country
and better the condition of the masses of the
people, increases the wealth Of the nation.
It is wise political economy to inaugurate any
measure that will augment the income of in
dividuals; for in so doing, so much is brought
annually into the common store house. On
the contrary, any course that has tendency
either directly or indirectly, to impoverish
the multitude, although it may increase the
possessions of few, is an unwise and dan
gerous policy. Every such effort directly
tends to weaken the nation in every aspect in
which it may be considered. The same gen.
eral principals hold good with regard to the
destruction of property. So indissoluble is the
tie that binds every member Of society to the
whole, and the whole to the individuals, that
whatever Injuries one member Injuries all the
rest. Every horse that dies and every house
that is burned, is not only an individual loss,
but public misfortune. The burning Of
large city or the failure of extensive corpora
tions, are often felt by every individual
throughout whole nation. Such events are
frequently attended by crises which are equal
ly experienced by the chief magistrate in his
palace and the peasant in his humble hut
1t would seem that many persons either en-
tirely ignore these principles, or in their sell
6shness lose sight of them. 1t appears as if
many individuals think only of SELF Their
idea of increase includes also decrease.
Really, it does seem as if some people thought
the only way to get rich is by making others
poor. Such persons can scarcely be said to
have national aspiration.
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.
-Itis rumored that "broken-bone' fever is
prevailing in Charleston.
The Jail of Pickens county is without
prisoner.
Governor Moses has appointed General
r. F. Bates trial Justice for Spartanburg.