The Portland daily press., 1874-07-21
The Struggle for Wealth.

No one can settle down in a European city
or village for month, and observe the labor
ing classes, without noticing great differ
ence between their aspirations, ambitions
and habits, and those OF corresponding classes
in this country. He may see great poverty
in continental town and men and women
laboring severely and faring meanly, and
hopeless gap existing between classes; he
may see the poor virtually the slaves of the
rich ; but he will witness measure of con-
tentment and daily participate IN in humble
pleasures to which his eyes have been stran-
gers at home. There is a sad side to this
pleasant picture. Much of this apparent con-
tentment and enjoyment undoubtedly come
from the hopelessnesss ol the struggle for any
tween them and the educated and aristocrat-
ic classes-a gulf which they have recognized
from their birth; and, having recognized
their own limitations, and adapted them
selves to them. Seeing just what they can
do and cannot do, they very nationally under
take to get out of life just what their condi-
tion renders attainable. There is NO far-off,
crowning good for them to aim at, SO they
try to get what they can on the way. They
make much of fete days, and social gather
ings, and music, and do what they can to
sweeten their daily toll, which they know
must be continued while the power to labor
lasts.
LII hIuCliCd III 10 NCIy uluCICubs n nunlDiC
backwoodsman sits in the presidential chair,
or did sit there but recently a tailor takes the
highest hOnors of the nation; canal-driver
becomes a powerful millionaire; humble
clerk grows into merchant prince absol b.
ing the labor and supplying the wants of tens
OF thousands. In city, state and national
politics, hundreds and thousands may be
counted of those who, by enterprise, ald self
culture, and self assertion have raised them
h,.x, 20 ;x.A,,
ence and place. There is no impossible gulf
between the low and the high. Every man
holds the ballot, and, therefore, every man Is
person OF political power and Importance.
The ways of business enterprise are many,
and the rewards OF success are munifceDt.
Not year, nor, in Iced, month, passes
by, that does not illustrate the comparative
ease with which poor men win wealth or ac'
qure power.
The consequence is that all but the wholly
brut al are after some great good that lies
beyond their years of toll. The European
expects always to be a tenant; the American
intends before he dies to own the house he
lives in. Ii city prices forbid this, he goes
to the suburbs for his home. The European
knows that life and labor are cheap, and
that he cannot hope to win by them the
wealth which will realize FOR him the dream
of future ease; the American finds his labor
updr, anu llS TcWdiuo DOuuLl-
iul, so that his dream of wealth is a rational
one. He, therefore, denies himself works
early and late, and bends his energies, and
directs those of his family into profitable
channels, all for the great good that beckons
him on from the far off, golden future.
The typical Ameri an never lives in the
present. If he INDUCES in a recreation, it
is purely for health's sake, and at long inter-
walls, or In great emergencies. He does not
waste money on pleasure, and does not ap-
prove of those who do so. He lives in a con-
slant fever of hope and expectation. or grows
sour with nope deferred or blank disap ,oint-
ment Out OF it all grows the worship of
wealth and tnat Generalization which results
ip unscrupulousuess concerning the methods
of its acquirement. So America presei Is the
anomaly OF laboring class with unpreceden-
| ted prosperity and privileges, and unexam
/ pied discomfort and discomfort.
There is surely something better than this.
| There is something better than life long
4 sacrifice of contempt and enjoyment for a
| possible wealth, which, however, may never
| be acquired, and which has not the power,
when won, to yield its holder the boon
| which he expects it to purchase. To with
| hold from the frugal wife the gown she de-
| sires, to deny her the journey which would
do so much to break up the monotony OF her
| home-liie, to rear children in mean ways, to
shut away from the family life thousand
| social pleasures, TO reinquish all amusements
| that have a cost alta: :hed to them, for wealth
which may or may not come when the fam
| ily life is broken up forever-surely this is
| neither sound enterprise or wise economy.
We would not have the American laboie er,
farmer and mechanic become improyidcnt,
but we would very much like to see them
ha ,pier than they are, by resort to the daily
social enjoymehts which are always ready c