The Labor enquirer., 1884-01-05
THE NEW RICH. i.

la omditiun q Things Which Nay
Lead to : Conflict of
Glasses.
Joe Howard In Philadelphia Pres.
There is no doub. about it that New
York is divided into two great classes
the very rich and the very poor. and the
middle class of reputable, industrious
fair to do people are gradually disap.
pearing, going up in the scale Of worldly
wealth or down into poverty and embar.
rassment. It seems unquestionable that
between these classes exists, and is
rapidly growing, under intentional fos-
tering and nurturing of evil men, dis
Itinct, pronounced malignant hatred.
The sneers at Mr.. Vanderbilt in the pub
lie press meet the appreciation Of hun
dreds Of thousands of people. Why
He is not bad man, although he never
does any good. To men who are sensi-
tive as to what other people should 90
with their money, he appears hoggish
but while as the representative of cor
porate selfishness Mr.. Vanderbilt stands
supreme, per Sc, he is an asy-going,
we'll enough kind of person, not good
looking, not educated, in no sense re-
fined, but, on the other hand, not evilly
disposed. But should be very sorry to
be in Mr.. Vanderbilt's boots if such
times as we had here in 1868 should be
repeated, and Mr.. Vanderbilt is a type of
thousands i use the term advisedly-who
are rich beyond their ancestors dreams of
avarice. There are men here worth $10,-
600, 1000 and $2O,o 900 of whom you know
nothing. know one lady, living in mag
nifcent house, whose life is as quiet as
that of minister's should be, who has
given away not less than 100000 in
five years, whose benefactions prior to
her death will reach not less than 81 ,000,-
600, who has in her home paintings,
statuary, diamonds. precious stones, ex-
quisite specimens of gold and silver,
with costly works Of every imaginable
art, an inside estimate of which is ST.
100000, and she is not as rich as many
of her neighbors by several million dol
lars. There are men here who twenty
years ago sold clothes on Chatham street
who to-day live at an annual expense of
100000, who wear jewels upon their
persons costing in reasonable stores
$25,000. -
Come with me in a Madison avenue
car any day, rain or shine, between the
hours of 10 o'clock in the morning and
5 or o'clock in the evening, and l will
find you car after car closely packed
with ladies in whose ears are diamonds
worth from $500 to $4,000 each, on
whose ungloyed hands, red and fluffy,
sparkle fortunes. Walk with me from
Stewards old store, at the corner of
Ninth street and Broadway, to Thir-
teenth street and Broadway, any day
do not mean Sundays, holidays or special
occasions, but all times-and will show
you on block after block women in seal
skin circulars down to their heels,
worth from $500 to $4,000 each, with dia-
mond earrings and with diamond finger
rings, and other precious stones as well,
carrying in their hands dainty pocket
books stuffed with money. They rep
resent the new rich with which New
York is filling up. On that same street,
at the same time, I can show you men
to whom dollar would be fortune,
whose trousers, torn and disgraceful in
their tatters, are held about their pinch
ed waists by rope or twine or pins, whose
stockingless feet shuttle along the pave
men in shoes SO ragged that they dare
not lift them from the pavement, whose
faces are freckled, whose boards are
long and struggling as their hair, while
their redeemed hands taper at the nails
like claws. How long before those claws
will fasten on the newly rich? Make no
mistake about it, the feeling is born, the
feeling is growing, and the feeling
sooner or later, will break forth. Only
last night 1 walked through Fourteenth
street, on which there are but few resi-
dences left, and in front of one, leading
from the door to the curbstone, was a
canopy, under which charmingly attired
ladies, accompanied by their escorts
went from their carriages to the open
door, through which floods of light and
sounds of music came. stood with the
crowd-a big crowd-a moment, and
there was born this idea of an newt.
able outbreak, unless something is done
and speedily done, to do away with the
prejudice which not only exists, but is
Intentionally, fostered against the very
rich by the very poor. 1t would make
you shudder to hear the way the women
spoke, Envy, jealousy, malignant fe
rocity, every element needed was there
All that is wanted is leader. ~
] Lodging the Complaint.
In the last issue of John Swinton'i
/ Panar is rive the nnmher of death,