St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-02-11
Rich AndsPOOr.
ITimes-DemOcrat.l


There is too prevalent disposition
on the part of working people ana
those in straitened circumstances 10
rail at what they term the wicked eS-
trayagance of the wealthy: They see
indolent. finely-dressed ladies pass
them by. lounging back luxuriously in
resplendent carriages and robbed IN
COSTLY raiment. They see merchants
specnlators, capitalists, squandering
money in feasting and dissipation.
And thew think to themselves bitterly
that all this money, wasted In unneces-
sarv things. would make them so happy,
give them so many comforts for wnlch
fhev nine. 1t seems hard that their
fellow creatures, having the same I'M
pulses. wants, physical conditions as
they. should be SO much more fortu,
nateiy situated; that one class should
he able to fling away, almost contemp-
tuously, what would alleviate so Won
derfully the hard lot OF the other.
They incline to regard as actually crl-
minal the luxuries, the expensive cap
rices OF the rich; and there grows up
in their hearts resentful sense OF IN
iury. which is the food of class preJu-
dice and which slowly shoulders into
lasting rancor.
We do not say that this feeling is
universal among the poorer classes
only that it exists and that we regret
it. There are a great many WORKING
people who see the matter IN It's true
light; who realize that this extrava-
gance on the part of the wealthy Is the
best reliance and surest livelihood OF
the Door. Those sleek horses have to
be fed, shod, taken care of; that iuxu-
rions carriage represents the paid labor
of score of workingmen those
flounces. frills and furbelows; that gOr-
geOus raiment, the couture, the hats.
Gloves. trinkets, and the thousand and
one little adOrnments for which the tine
lady scatters her mOny; all these things
have given employment and brought
wages to industrious people who other
wise might have found it hard to make
hoth ends meet. The rich who spend
their money, no matter how lavish!y
provided they can afford it, are the
best and truest benefactors of the poor'
Nine tenths of every dollar they fling
away reaches, in due time, some honest
laborious hand and strengthens it. One
miser is u wrong to society and q curse
TO industry; but the 0pen-handed
spendthrift rich are society's most pow.
erful yitalizers. They keep in active
circulation the money which brings
| food and fuel and clothing to the poor
| Louis XIV of France, at q time wheI
the poor of Paris and it's neighborhood
were threatened with the direst want
and suffering, inaugurated the colossal
scheme of public expenditure which
gave to the world the almost superhu'
man beauty of Versailles, with its mag;
nificent parks and gardens, lakes and
fountains and palaces. The narrow
view Of the result was that he provided
gorgeous dwellings for his favorites
Maintenon and La Valliere, and Prov:
ded himself with a pleasure grouno
such as no mortal monarch ever pos
sessed; but the true motive OF thu
great King was to give employment te
starving thousands and to teach the
poor to depend on labor rather than or
aims. In their smaller spheres, bu
with an equal benefcence, the rich Of
our time dispense their plenty among
their humble neighbors. Out OF thu
surplus of their abundance many hun
gry mouths are fed and shivering backs
are clothed. SO far from being objects
of resentment by reason OF their prod1
gality. they deserve recognition al
practising the most wholesome form Q:
| friendship to the poor. 1t they shoulc
check that careless flow of gold, wha
would become of thousands who live
upon the proceeds of their labor ant
their skill9 Think of this, you wht
rail at the fashionable rich, and wht
mistake mere envy for an honest con
demnation of extravaganza!