Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-16


a letter of the Times PHILADELPHIA cores
pendent illustrates what is believed in America
to be the greatest Or at least. the most imne-
diate OF American social dangers-the growing
prominece of the plutocrats and the growing
Jealousy with which they are regarded We
have nothing in England quite Ike the Ameri-
can millionaire. We have rich men on this side.
but. with the possible exception of the Roths-
childs, who are not English and of whose
position nobody knows anything accurately
our mlonares are not so rich, are not
so prominent in the national life, and are
not Inclined to devote themselves solely
to affairs. Nobody hears much of Lord
Overstone, perhaps of all British sub
Jects the man with the largest available re-
sources and the lesser miliiOnaires men with
from two millions to five, either "fOund fami-
lies process which involves large purchases
OF land and comparative obscurity-or take to
art and culture; or, like Sir i. Brassey, range
themselves into the system by acte3tfil'S office
we cannot recall man who makes himself very
visible by his use Of money alone and still less
one who makes himself obnoxious Baron Grant
wanted to do the former bat did not succeed.
ana now is only remembered by Emma share
holders and the cOsmOpOlitans in rusty coats
who SIT about on his seats and eniOy the dreary
llvelness OF Leicester Square In America how
ever, the millionaire is what king is in Eu-
rope-an object always of perpetual notice and
often OF fanatical detestatiOn. Owing partly to
the immense spaces. partly to the diffusion of
wealth. and partly to habit, almost all great
undertakings in the Union, and more especially
undertakings in the interest of communications
are carried on nOminaily by corporations. and
THESE corporations tend to fall under Individual
control.
The Americans to begin with. prefer the
presidential system to the parliamentary of all
things, and leave to individuals whom we should
can chairlnen far more direct power than Eng
iishmen usually do They do not use, moreover,
the checks by which we habitualv prevent SINGLE
men from monopolizlng stock in anv concern
and then governing it at their own discretion.
Inc notion OF one man owning all the shares in
the Bank OF England, and appointing all the di-
rectors, would horrify Englshmen. An Amer-
can with great fortune can buy Joint stock
| bank. or railway line, or great telegraph
system. and govern it as he peases; and he has
many temptations to do it. He wants ocrrna-
ton. he wants power, and he wants status; and
the cOntfol. say, OF railway, with it's stocks.
It's contracts. It's patronage, and it's Importance
to state governments, gives him all he wishes
Tor. besides prospect. if he manages well of
indefinitely Increasing his ''pile.''
what Americans want with colossal fortunes
we can hardly imagine, for they get little that
E.hgllshmen THINK pleasant out of them; but
they do want them, and set before themselves
pecun!ary ideals which to Englishmen seem
fabulous. Capitalists who should know tell us
that Mr. Stewart, with nineteen Millions was
hot the richest American alive, one man at least,
possessing much heavier impeachment to carry
on his road to heaven. With a million and a
few siXpences an Englishman is inclined to re-
TIRE, and pursue his tastes in quiet; but an
American is just beginning to Operate on
the grand scale, and with sense of power
and freedom. With that money, he begins to
use his brains. An American millionaire there
1Ore often makes himself master of some grand
concern. or group of concerns and is thencefOr-
ward sort OF king, governing as he pleases,
pushing his policy" as against other poll
cies," fighting huge co porations, defying the
public, with which he is sure, sooner or later,
TO come into collision, corrupting state govern
ments, and even influencing the government of
the republic. He occupies the position at once
OF great company and great arstocrat. and
as he has usually as few bowels as a company.
and is as self-centered the great aristocrat, he
there is often cause for hate.-London Spectator.