Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1884-12-26
A $50 Biblical Reward.-The pub
The Distribution of Wealth.

M. Editor The enormous increase in
national wealth made in this country within
the last few years is phenomenal. We find
from census returns that in ten years-frOm
1870 to 1SS0-this wealth was very nearly
doubled, or, in other words, an increase in
the national wealth was made OF about TWEEN
ty thousand millions of dollars One is natu-
rally tempted to exclaim What prosper
Gus country, and what thrift must exist in
all classes of society. Such would be no
more than the proper economic state of
things, but if we look at facts and figures
we find very different result.
Fifty years ago, when the country scarcely
possessed third Of its present wealth, pau
persm was an evil almost entirely unknown
Luxury certainly was scarcely 10 be found
in any class, but there was at least none Of
this absolute impecuniosity and consequent
Indebtedness, which ut the present LAY are
only too easy 10 find. At that time, also,
the actual milllonaires could be cbunted on
the fingers To-day when We look at Il
country which in ten years nearly doubled
its wealth, instead Of proportOnate gen
era prosperity in all classes of society, we
find this wealth has been amassei by com
paratively few individuals. These men IN
heaping up enormous gains have become
fabulously wealthy while the laborng class,
the class that more than any other may be
called the producer of this wealth, Is not II
whit higher in the social scale than il was
fifty years ago And worse still, larger
number IRON this class is found 10 he falling
every year into absolute poverty and pnury.
The distance between the labOrer and the
capitalist is ever widening. The latter IL
rapidly becoming richer, while the former
is at least as badly, If not worse, of than
half Il century ago. Though the invention
and use of improved machinery In all the
departments of manufacture have been great
~ instrumental in the increased production
OF wealth, yet, owing 10 the sharp competi
ton amongst all classes Of laborers, It is the
capitalist who has been almost exclusively
benefited. Can any possible Justification
be found for those who heap up these enor-
nous gains, caring nothing for the condi-
ton Of the producers, which IS ~ infinitely
removed from their own? What pervert-
ed state of affairs, that the producers of
wealth should be found 10 be yearly grow
| ing poorer in proportion 10 the increasing
riches Of the capitalist. How touchingly
those lines of Austin Dobson refer to the
matter:
"Ah reader, ere You turn the page
/ | leave you this for moral
! Remember those who tread LIES stage
/ And ne'er leafior laurel"
IL is at the risk Oi being suspected OF iayor.
ing some of the numerous communistlc
sc .iemes that have preceded thus far
Anything, however, In the shape OF social
ism could not be more In opposition to my
convictions. No form OF society can exist
without some recognized superiors; that IS
agreed 10 by every economist; and hence 1t
is equally true that the different classes
of capitalist and laborer must exist Every
economist will admit that common dlstri-
button Of public aims would be fatal alike
to public morals and TO the individual pros
perity ofthe recipients. The various schemes
that are brought forward proposing gen
eral and equal distribution Of wealth would
be 10 the poorer classes but gigantic sys-
tenn of almsgiving, and TO the richer an un'
justihable robbery. And can any one in
reason suppose that under such dlstribu
ton the poor would be In any respect ben
Gifted? II would be but q matter Of few
days or weeks before those unaccustomed 10
the possession OF wealth would have lost
their entire share, and 10 those very men
who are now steadily amassing wealth IN
such vast amounts.
There are, however, various ways W
which this crying evil Of monopolies and
oppression may, and should be, guarded
against without appropriating the wealth Of
lnlnn6ialiyidual. Of 70 o. propose TO con
2R III should be taken