New-York tribune., 1879-01-02

there will remain these obstinate facts that men
have unequal capacities for earning and saving that
they are lucky and unlucky, that O little capital.
once accumulated, has tremendous potentiality for
acceleratng its own increase; that at least consd-
cradle amount Of capital accumulated somewhere in
s Sr IN Ss D1 s bS
the hope OF becoming rich IL an incentive TO
that labor, enterprise aud economy which
make and save civilized society; and fnaIly, tnat
great fortunes are not the result of hard knocks
with either the hands or the head. Stealing, water
ing and gambling aside large fortunes are for the
part o Sd 1"s G IN IHe
and that without robbng the labOrer or OF that far
fame and good credit that can command the use OF
the captal OF Others.
ULTIMATE DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY.
And after oil, the evil, though great and real, is
not SO great as it appears. Or, TO state 1t more
accurately the real distance, in matter Of comfort
between the laborng man and the millionaire is 40
greater than between the same day-aborer and the
man of five thousand year. The man of five
thousand year can live comfortably; the million
ire can do little more. Then, to the reflection that
the overgrown fortune ought to have been more
equally distributed. l answer that 1t will be dis
trbuted some day. and ten to one before very
great while. And that distribution. like many
others apparently more caamitOus, NAV not result
in any loss of capital in the sense of capital de-
destroyed but will OF be capital changing hands.
The law presents complete obstacle to any pre-
arranged entailment or pcrpetuity of fortune. The
habits and vcissitudes of American life present an
other Recently fortune, popularity estlma ed at
hundred millions was disposed of by will in man.
ner indicating desire to keep II together and to
perpetuate great business Some of you have been
heard to say that yoa would not now give fifty mill
lions for that property and business and probably
as little wOnld you covenant TO give twenty millions
for it on the 1st day of January, 1900. Just now
another estate also estimated at hundred mil
lions, is passing through litigation over the will.
1t will be good luck if any descendant of either the
founder or the founded can count million in
1878. By that time the other millions, things go
in this country. are just as apt to be possessedhon
estly acqulred-by some OF your descendants as to
founder or the founded And perhaps the short
est disposition of the whole subject is the observa
fortune fort % m If You OF ans answer NO then either you are
not sincere or else you lacking in some of the
clements OF useful citizenship.
Capital Is needed to support labor while it is pro-
ducing and allow production TO come to fruition.
The farmer with nothing but his land, and the man
ufacturer with nothing but his mill full of ma
chinery, and each with crowd OF labOrers waiting
and demanding employment would all starve with
ont capital capital other than the lands,
the buildings and machinery; capital to pay and
support labor, until labor can produce its matured
value Tho seed corn would be eaten instead of
planted the eggs cooked and eaten as soon as LAID,
instead of hatched and grown into fowls, or the
necks of tue fowls wr1ng at once the raw material
for the mills would rot or he used for fuel, without
the ability, in the form OF accumulated capital, TO
employ labor. linus LABOR creates capital ana capl-
tai supports labor. There IS no natural or necessary
hostility between them. They depend each
other-each is the others best friend. Neither can
do without the other and any actual hostility
comes from mistaken views, or from the results OF
bad legislation.
CONTENDING AGAINST NATURE.
To state the conclusion Of the whole matter, yOu
are all contendng for the most part against nature,
rreversble facts, destiny. 1t is hard saying, but
true. You complain and crticise, and against some
things with reason. 1t is your remedies dispute.
The average condition Of man was always such as
now, or worse The world is morally and politically
better to-day than ever before. The masses are
better fed, better clothed, better educated than
ever before We not to contend against the de-
of nature, but to accept contest which only
courage can fight. and in which cheerfulneSs
is power and an element OF success.
Nature is stingy-pOssby for the purpose of
training, educating and developing lis. Life is a
struggle for existence labor is the price of life, and
life is worth having A flood of greenbacks Will
not help you-the wOrkingman or his son may yet
be President, or. more comfortable still, a coupon
clipper; and Others. whose opinions are possibly
misrepresented-ccrtain not accurately defined
by themselvcs--wll do well to guard their con-
duet; will do well to make no violent or bloody
disturbance in a community that is beginning to
feel lust a little impatient, and could easily be
goaded into feeling very belligerent.
Nec- York, Dec 30, 1873. GEO. II. YEAMAN.