Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-02-16
THE PLEASURE OF WEALTH.

How much money would one like TO
'havcy This is a question which has
rather a speculative than a practical inter
rest for most of Us, and we are generally
inclined TO make the simple reply. " AS
much as we can get;' TO which may or
may not be added the qualification, with
out stealing" We may leave II to moral.
lists TO point out the folly of over-anxiety
Tor money, OF 10 prove that all wealth is
but "a burden for the nober spirit We
will be content 10 admit that ms matter
OF fact, most people would rather have
guinea than pound, and that, as far rs
their Immediate personal comfort is con.
c@ned, they are generally right. Few
people have practically TO consider what
rs the superior limit 10 the desirabeness
OF money and yet, If wise man was in
vitcd to fix his income with simple view
10 his own personal comfort, he would
probably be content with place rather
below the highest degree Of the scale.
Let VS. consider where he ought TO draw
his line, Ii Is plain, in the first place,
that he would place himself above
The point Of actual suffering. The
greatest break in the social scale
Is that at which man ceases to
have any appreciable anxiety as To his
ger of actual starvation, or of being only
saved from starvation by the workhousc,
ceases TO be appreciable, man has re-
ceivcd the greatest benefit that wealth
can give him. Johnson once observed,
when looking at the house of some very
rich man, that all this wealth excluded
only one evil--poverty. The remark
may not be logically accurate, bat il
points TO Il substantial truth. Downright
want OF food and clothes. actual physical
suffering caused 10y poverty, is an evil so
great that no other service which
can he rendered by wealth is equal To that
of removing it. If n man has sufficient
mcans TO secure the full development of
his mental and bodily faculties, and to
enjoy their exercise without any anxiety
as 10 the future, he has, we may say,
reached dry land, and it is comparatively
u matter of little importance how far he
may atterNard climb above the level of
The Hoods, Indeed, tlis is 10 estimate his
requirements too highly. A complete de-
Velopmcnt would seem 10 imply that a
man should bc able to receive the most
thorough education obtainahle at the
period The worst evil of poverty disap-
pears when man has gained a firm foot
ing ON some step of the social ladder nj
which the physical privations are not felt
AS present or probable evil The owner,
for example, of few acres, as he is DIES.
'cribed hy the admirers of small landed
estates, may tie rs free rs millionaire
trum any doubts as To suticiency of food
and clothing. He cannot have any intel.
leCiual faculties which he may possess
developed TO the highest conceivable pitch,
hut he has fun play OF his faculties in
their actual stage of development A
skilled artisan, u comfortable farmer or
even an ordinary lahorer, in region
where there is steady demand for his
services, may have all his requirements
Sufficiently satisfied and be in no fear that
he viii ever be unable TO satisfy them In
some distant millennium every member
OF the community may be capable of the
highest intellectual and eStheiic enjoy.
mentS. In any period 10 which we can
look forward il would be amply sufficient
II the lower classes were rich enough 10
he Out OF all danger of physical deteriora.
ton, and civilized enough TO prefer IA,
itonal To bru,all2ing enioyments The
most positive evils of poverty would then
have disappeared
From this point of relative comfort
there is continuous graduation up to the
other point AT which wealth becomes a
burden, The difficulty is to fin this latter
point Evidently il must come some.
where. Every pound added to ones in
come must give ceteYTs lJribUS, less pleas.
Urc than the preceding pound and for the
simple reason that We naturally spend our
Income IN satisfying our most eSSing
wants. As one by one We have stopped
up every avenue through which diSCom.
fort approaches, we have 10 tax our in
gcnuity Ia discover new modes of positive
qualification. As the human faculties are
limited, this becomes difficult, or even
impo>Sible, except al the price OF making
ourselves slaves 10 cur wealth OF course,
ii q man choose To muddle away MS
fortune in almsgiving or gambling. there
is no income of which he may not easily
Ii shlt r.i..t, ShinSDlf w. 49, At.,- ~ ~.