The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-23
BIG Fortunes.

were estimated among the millions, never
such gigantic monopolies Of wealth as the
great ship and railroad companies, the vast
mining and manufacturing corporations OF
to- day. Everything shows a tendency to
sggrandisement and concentration. They
that have, get more, and they that have not,
lose even what little they had. Capital 10
gregsriOus; 1t has an instinct Of accumu
lation at specific centres and an aversion
to distribution. Wealth creates wealth
and money attracts money. The great de-
velopment Of machinery of late yeara and the
vast modern facilities for Communication
multiply the opportunities of concentrating
capital. Machinery 10 substituted for labor,
aud independent labor without its aid is
almost Ineffective. The man who could
once do o full dsy's work with hoe, must
now be rich enough to own q mule and q
cultivator or he cannot enter into compe-
tition with his neighbor who has them. The
seamstress who once could earn q comfort
able living with her needle must now have
sewing machine and be satisfied with
as much work.
This means that henceforth the laborer
must own expensixe machinery instead of
inexpensive implements, and, if he has
no means to buy them, he must be servant
to those who have, instead Of being their
competitor. In order to produce goods at the
cheapest rates, inn immensely costly machinery
is one field for the concentration of money
another 10 found in organizing and equip
ping some mighty railway which modern
invention has rendered possible. Expense
can be economized and money saved by
mining for gold, silver, lead or coal on
gigantic scale; here again fabulous |
amounts of means fnd an occasion Of
in the hands of one man or
one directory. And, 80, big fortunes grow
larger and small ones grow smaller,
because there lie economy in the very
element Of magnitude.
But what of it Is this good or bad 2 1t
is said there are two sides to every question.
Every one likes to get calico for Eve cents
g yard instead Of paying ten or If
teen cents for the same quality, and
shoes for one-half their former price
are a blessing. Everyone likes, if he must
cross the ocean, to do it in the average
time Of the present day, instead
Of repeating the experiences Of Christopher
Columbus. But, for all that, people "are
not happy" There is bad side to it. II
10 not mere caprice and exuberance Of
spirit and iusoleuce Of over prosperity that
arouse the evil passions and principles Of
Communism, that spread abroad in this
land the poisonous seeds OF Sgrarisnism,
and that are lighting every where through
out the Protestant world the half hidden
8res of revolution. There is deep. seated
discomfort on the part Of labor la it's rela.
lion To capital. White people are not will
ng to be slaves, and the workinRman of
70 day, skilled OF unskilled, dsy-laborer
'r mechanic, is virtually q slave. He is
40 longer competitor with the machinery
owners; he must work for them and on
heir terms, or starve.
What then = Shall we prohibit the
of wealth in order to arrest
he evils accompanying it In doing so
We should at the same time be Obliged to
'acrifice the many conveniences that result
rom it. The grand works OF manufacture
md transportation would be suppressed
md prices of living wonld Immediately in
crease. 1t would be q universal tax from
which the Communist would be no more
exempt than the man of fortune. Is there
10 way Of escaping this catastrophe h
Great fortunes are undoubtedly a great
'urss in many respects, principally to
heir owners, but they are indispensable to
he economic necessities of society. Money
8 of no real use to it's possessor save as q
means of getting to Heaven, for life itself
8 of no use except as road to that des.
ination. The man who sees any intrinsic
-alue in wealth is blind or getting blind,
nd unfortunately it is q moral blindness 6
me that reacts upon his whole nature. He
an no longer appreciate the delicate shades
human feeling. One master passion