The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-11-08
The Use Of Rich Men.
Lancaster fPal Examiner.

best of legislation. As this is apparent
we blame the laws for the immediate
cause of all life's inequalities. We fail
to see that the permanent fundamental
reasons for one mans poverty and an
other ones riches are not the result of
artificial, bet of personal causes. Eco
nomical laws have grown out of the
struggle of life, in which the strongest
and brainiest win and the less able re-
main poor and die. The other day we
printed an anecdote of Jacob Tome, the
millionaire of Port Deposit, which illus
trates the personal equation" in the
matter of getting on in the world. A
poor, drunken carpenter, half jealous,
said to the millionaire, 81 knew you,
Jake Tome, when you were hostier." F"
The reply was appropriately knew
you when you were a carpenter and you
are a carpenter STILL" The moral is
plain. Tome and the carpenter started
equal in life. The law did not favor
the hostler more than the carpenter.
The one succeeded and the other re-
mained stationary, simply because
brains, industry, economy and sobriety
marked one side, and the opposite the
other. Had this carpenter any right to
be jealous or any equitable claim for
division of Mr.. Tones wealth? Ger
tain reformers, ignoring the carpenters
lack of sobriety, forethought, etc.,
would say yes. They look only at the
inequality of conditions. They see ef-
fects and never ask causes.
1t is we'll sometimes to ask the ques-
ton whether the rich man does not
serve a wise and wholesome use; and is
he not after all directly or indirectly
the working mans best friend. In an
swering this question we must take hu-
man nature as it is-and not measure
it by standard of perfection. There
is always surplus beyond immediate
consumption. If certain classes had
their way this surplus would be distrib-
uted among everybody. and consumed.
Not only the ignorant man, but even
the more intelligent who live upon sal
aries, greater or less, would war upon
this surplus. 1t is not consumed be-
cause the wise and ignorant socialist
cannot get at it. If it were consumed
civilization would come to a stand-still,
there would be no fund to repair waste,
and so there would falling off in the
comforts of life.
This unexpended surplus is accumu-
lated, and the accumulator is our much
dreaded rich man. What part does he
play? He cannot eat more than other
men or wear more. His personal wants
are few and not necessarily extravagant.
He cannot eat his surplus and he does
not hoard it like miser,> bearing no
interest. AS a recent economical
writer says, and one who is honestly
and philosophically on the side of the
working rnan-the rich mans ''capital
seeks investment, it utilizes invention
and discovery; it establishes industries
s.ttel employs labor it distributes the
products; and the average of human
comforts is constantly on the increase
through this means. The savings OF
labor which have fallen so largely into
the hands of the few, making them rich
men, have built our railroads steam
ships, telegraphs, manufactures, thus
in many ways adding to the means OF
production and the facilities of CON-
merce at home and abroad. These saw
ed earnings in the hands of men seek
ing investment for profit have increas-
ed the wealth, resources and refinement
of civilization, made abundance posi-
Bile, and brought it within reach of all,
except the unfortunate, or the fnd0lent
and mbtO0ldtm. Tie industrious and
economical b00, man is better off to-day
than if laboring men all through the
past could have had what so many OF
them are at present clamoring for.
Somehow the socialist cannot see this
plain fact, and the demagogue who is
constantly shouting about the poor man,
worthy and unworthy, does not want to
see it. The rich man is the accumuia-
tor of the surplus products of labor,
which he uses in futher production.
He may not be equitable or just, but in
the present stage of our development
he is the best instrument we have to ad.
vance the interests of the world. The
hostler Tome became an accumulation
the carpenter spent all his surplus. The
one now directs mighty enterprises for
the benefit of man, while the others
only wish is not to have more to save,
but more to spend. The world would
have come to a standstill had the COM
munistic doctrines of the early Chris
tians prevailed. Sell all thou hast and
give to the poor is not sound political
economy. Save what you can, become
rich honestly and an employer of labor
for further production, and you are play
ing a good part in the world and thus
in a measure making it more comfort
able and happy. Before cursing the
rich man or railing at him, as the car
penter did at Tome, let US ask if he IS
not necessity, and be contented.