The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-12-27
THE TWO PROBLEMSi
The Production Of WeaIth-The Distrlou-
ton Of Wealth.
Why England is Rich and yet Poor.

From a speech OF Hon. Brisbin Walker, oil
Brooklyn, in New Jersey, October III
: Listen to a chapter written by that
most eloquent of advocates in behalf
of Door humanity--in behalf OF the
..miserable ones" as the author calls
them-by a man who has studied the
horrible irregularities, the IncOuSlst-
encies, the injustices OF llte-N lctor
Hugo the French Poet.
Almost in paragraph he, speaking
of France, tells us our own troubles;
speaking Of England, accurately de-
scribes our own situation. lie Sepa-
rates the question into two problems.
They are these:
First problem: TO produce wealth.
Second problem: to distribute it.
The first problem contains the ques-
ton Of labor.
The second contains the question Of
wages.
In the first problem is the question
Of the employment of force.
In the second, of the distribution
of enjoyment.
From the good employment of force
results public power.
From the good distribution OF en-
ioyment results individual happiness.
BY good distribution we must UNI
derstand not equal distribution but
equitable distribution. The highest
equality is equity.
From these two things combined.
public power without, individual
happiness within, results social pros
peritv.
social prosperity means man happy
the citizen free--the nation great.
England solves the first of these
two problems. She creates wealth
wonderfully. She distributes it bad
In. This solution which is complete
only on one side, leads her inevitably
to these two eXtremeS-monStrou
opulence--monstrou misery. All the
enjoyment to the few, all the priva-
lions to the rest, that is, the people
privilege, exception. monopoly. fen
dality springing from labor itself;
false and dangerous situation, which
POUNDS public power upon private
misery, which plants the grandeur
of the state in the suffering of the i'll
dividual. \ grandeur i'll constituted;
in which all the material elements
are combined. and into width no NOR
al element enters.
Communists and agrarianS think
they have solved the second problem.
They are mistaken. Their distribu
ton kills production. Equal partition
abolishes emulation. and consequent
lv abOliShes labor. 1t is distribution
made by the butcher who kills what
lie divides. 1t is therefore impossible
to stop at these protested solutions;
TO kill wealth is not to distribute it.
The two problems must be solved
together to be well solved. The two
solutions must be combined and form
but one.
Solve the first of the two problems,
you will be Venice, You will be Eng
land. You will have, like Venice,
an artificial power, or like England.
Il material power. You will be the
evil rich man. yon will perish by vio-
lence as Venice died, or by Bankruptcy
as England will fall, and the world
will let You die. because the world let's
everything fall and die, which is moth
inc but Seltishness. Everything
which does not represent virtue or
IN idea for the human race.
1t IS. of course. understood that by
these words .'Nenice," England.
we designate not the people. but the
local constructions. The oligarchieS
superimposed upon the nations. and
not the nations themselves. The ma
lions have OR respect and our sympa-
thy. Venice. the people will he
reborn: England the aristocracv will
fall. but England the nation is i'm
mortal.
Develop the intelligence while YOU
occupy the arm: be at once Il powerful
people and family of happy men:
democratiZe property, not by abolish
ing it, but by understanding it. in
such way that every citizen without
m exception may be a proprietor IAN
easier thing than it is believed to be);
in two words. learn to produce
wealth. and learn to distribute it, and
YOU shall have material grandeur and
moral grandeur combined Irish
World.
A MARVEL OF ENGINEERING.
\ work equal in difficulty and mag
nitude to the projected draining Of
the Zuyder Zee has been accomplish
ed in Italy. only some auxiliary opera