The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-01-24
For the ADVANCED
THE MONEY POWER.
An Able Article on Extreme Wealth and
its Damgers-Ihe ''Forgotten Man,
Us. the Billi0naires.

us DHnyeTS-lne FOfyOtten man,
Us. the Billionaires.
ADRIAN, Mobiles Co., Minn., Dec %, 1883.
TO n s. Sumner, Professor Of Political and
Social Science, Yaie College:
l feel dellcacy in obtruding myself
upon your notice, especially as 1 am
one of the uneducated ''forgotten''
men of the west, and should not be so
presumptuous but for the fact of hav-
ing read, in the Popular Science
Monthly, some extracts from your
book entitled, "What Social Glasses
Owe to Each Other,' which has so
stirred my thoughts that I seek relief
by writing to the fountain head. l
agree with you in your general descrip-
tion of those who claim and those who
make injudicious use OF charity, that
man is A center Of POKER to himself and
should work out his own destiny,
which he can do and still preserve the
law of proper relationship as an asso-
ciate being, not acting solely in and for
himself, like a dumb beast, but rather
as a factor to common whole and to
the general good. Were it otherwise
man would need a separate world for
his especial use. Then no one could
make claims on his accumulation of
wealth, and he would indeed be mon
arch of all he surveyed.
define wealth as stored labor, which
brings me to the point OF issue, where
I have right to call in question meth
ods us we'll rs facts. You say ''he is i,
good member of society who works
himself from poverty to wealth." Does
not this need qualifications? Do not
bad men as often do this as good men
and is it not often done without credit
to the man, but rather from sheer force
of circumstances? You say, ''wealti
is only obtained by self denial.'' Is
this quite true? Do not the Wander.
bilts and Goulds as often obtain Their
heaviest gains avithout self denial OF
much effort, simply 10y combinations
and manipulations? Is there not :
point where great wealth becomes dan
gerOus to the public good, where ont
mans rights consume and abrogate :
thousands mems rights? Wealth j.
not an unmixed good 1t has power
for evil at choice, and is turned against
the people when the occasion arrives
1t demands concessions from all gov
ernments and aids only at the end of :
big per cent. on its own terms. II
shapes and controls legislation, il
stoopS to all manner of combination:
to gain it's own ends. 1t has abrogate(
the law of supply and demand, anG
stands ready to crush any interest fol
it's own sake.
Shall the extremes in money getting
be held any more worthy and reliable
than all other extremes which you de
precate, and shall we protect HIM the
more because of his ability to steal the
earnings of thousands of ''fOrgottel
men?'' If my brother has the talent
physical and mental make up, to take
undue advanta9 Of me, is it the surviva
of the fitteSt that he should do so, anC
is there no higher view than mere ma
terial gain? No man ever gets millions
by any fair process of his own labor
In fact no one can have that amount
without thousands having none as Z;
consequence. Which will you have
Shall man go down for the benefit O
capital, or shall capital stand aside fo
the benefit of man? Is it not maxim
of political economy that the more
even the distribution of wealth th'
higher the standard? How, then. ca,
you say the aggregation of wealth i
not an evil? You have said there is n,
such thing as perfect liberty. How
then, do you allow this extreme mar
of wealth to run riot against th'
interest of the greater bulk OF mankind
and how can your ''forgotten man
raise himself from obscurity whil'
chained to earth by this wealth god
who can exist on y through that degree
Of liberty which you Say no man has
The natural-born money getter and TIN
natural-born thief are on precisely thu
same basis. Neither has perfect liberty
of action, because both are out o
proper relationship to their brothe
man. do not get these thoughts from
''some occult source of inspiration,
but from Nature. the world as it is ant
as it should be, recognizing man as un
ripe fruit who cannot be advanced t
full maturity through material pro
gress alone any more than flowers Cal
blossom from frozen earth, or frui
ripen at the north pole. We need NJ
stimulus TO material progress, we ar
at the extreme in that direction nov
and the ''forgotten man" finds it hare
to keep within hailing distance Of hi
captain, wealth, but still obeys order
with negative simplicity. We hav
passed the idea of the ''diyine right o
kings" may we not deny the divin
right of wealth unless fairly obtained
And millions are never so obtained
but often wrung from the unfortunate
whose environment precludes advance
ment. You say to limit wealth is lik
killing off our generals in war. Thi
is not a fair comparison, since the gen
eral gives his life for the general good
while the man of wealth works entirel
for himself and against the genera
good. You say If a man is mot at tn
front how can he be put there excep
by pulling others down." to which
reply, by allowing him to change hi
| environment so he can work to highe
| level, and not to remain on Il dea'
level through the influence of law mad
by and for the rich man, and a falls
| theology that for centuries has taugh
that poverty is one of the graces O
| Gods government, and obedience t.
| the laws that be as the first duty of
good citizen, saying, God gives to tn
rich and poor what to Him seemet
| good" thus holding in subjection a
the aspirations Of equality and freedom
What a brazen falsehood What pre-
sumption to suppose that God choose
men upon whom to confer favors Q
dollars and cents, while the facts are
all the elements of wealth are given t
all alike, and there is no other divin
order. 1 very much regret that yo
give so much credit to material pros
perity, as though there was no highe
type of advancement.
If the coming man is to be the e1
extreme of this type we may we'll fol
get the moral code and Danish cor
science to the rear. May 1 not hop
that the cultivated man, present an
for all time. shall be found ranged o
the side of the every day man, the grea
commonality. whose pulse beats to tn
tune of industry, whose moral cond
tion is the dial-plate of human pre-
gress. If this letter seems inpertinen
excuse me, while l assure you l have a
interest in my fellow man. and viii
working for bread, l sigh for MOI
light.