The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-31
have been given to such an object.

have been given to such an object.
A poor clerk devotes his leisure time
to studying the dark ways Of those who
pile up vast wealth in the exercise Of
so-called legitimate trade, or looks with
envy upon the manipulators of the
markets of the world. From childhood
up he has heard the praises of such men.
AT school and at church and Sunday
school he has been taught that the ac-
cunnulation of wealth by these means
was proper, and right in the sight of
God and man. Looking abroad he finds
that labor starves, while those who labor
not revel in luxury. Carried away with
the desire to become wealthy he enters
the mad race, and according as his
energy, strength and unscrupuIousness
holds out is he successful.
Perhaps he invests his little savings in
some speculative enterprise. AS the
market fuctuates, now up and then
down, he is lifted into the highest eestacy
of mingled envy and greed, or plunged
into an abyss of dependency and de-
spair. d.. I.r-...
Even the reformer often becomes
tainted with this growing evil, the lust
for gain. Having agitated and sacrificed
for years, apparently to no purpose, and
becoming discouraged at the apathy and
neglect of those whose battles he is
fighting, and whose burdens be has borne
so long even he too frequently yields at
last to the temptation to feather his own
nest, and seizes the first opportunity to
do SO which presents itself. All ideas of
reform, all schemes for the reconstruc-
tion of society are abandoned, and the
one thought, the all-pervading idea is to
make money. With money he can put
into practice many of the pet schemes
for the amelioration of his fellows; he
can contribute literally to the cause once
dear to him, but above all he will be
forever removed from all fear of want
and its attendant horrors.
The rich are respected. They fill all
offices of public trust. They are courted.
lattered and fawned upon by their
neighbors, while the very poor cringe
and crawl and fain would lick the
ground my lord doth walk upon. Who
therefore would not be rich?
One of the signs of this growing lust
for gain is the increasing number of
bucket-shops in the country, all of which
do thriving business. The eagerness
of the people to take risks with the hope
of large gains is SO great that thousands
of persons of both sexes, and of all
degrees, throw away millions of dollars
annually. From the minister of the
gospel and the school teacher to the
newsboy and the sewing girl this lust of
gain and greed of wealth is becoming an
absorbing passion, and thousands are
ruined through their desire to accumu-
late wealth by taking ventures which
promise large profits.
Rushing, scrambling, fighting and tear
ing in the mad race for wealth all other
thoughts and desires are subordinated
The victims of this unnatural lust for
gain gradually lose all interest in hu
manity, forfeit the esteem of loyal
friends, and sunder all ties of affection
and duty.
Never will this insatiate greed of gain
be overcome until the fountain from
which 1t springs, the fear of want, is
hanished from the world. Just as long
as we 60 on making paupers will We also
have millionaires; and the only way to
rid the earth of both, and to put stop
to the causes which breed social in.
equality is to work the destruction Of
the damnable system which creates and
fosters them. CATO.