The Labor enquirer., 1884-02-23

acquired his gold by his own labor if he
shall have produced something which is
of equal value to society with that which
his gold will buy him, then there is no
wrong. But if he gets his gold without
labor, and continues to get it without la
Dor, then there is wrong dpne to So
ciety.
X.
By the operation of the proposed laws,
the present large fortunes would be de-
prived of their power to magnify them
selves and, unless their owners shall
earn all the money they spend, the for
tunes must at once begin to decrease and
scatter.
And then, too, luxurious and extrav-
agant living would be less INDUCED in ;
for people whose stores are lessened by
every expense, will be less prodigal and
wasteful than when they are spending
only the income, and perhaps not all of
that and when their principle, if it be,
forinstance, land, is growing in value all
the time. If man have a 81 100000 in
land from which he derives an income
of $4,000, and his land is growing in
value all the time, he will freely spend
the whole or nearly the whole of that
$4,000 in gratifying bis tastes and his
fancy. But if he have 100000 in
money, from which he receives no in
come, and every dollar he spends less
ems his property, he will not freely spend
$4,000 year. He will halt before he
gratif1es his luxurious fancy and he will
find it convenient and agreeable to live
in simpler and perhaps more en-
joyable style, and spend $4,000 or $4,000
year. And if his investment be in
land from which he can receive no in
come, and upon which he pays taxes, he
will have no monoy to spend lavishly in
the qualification of his tastes. And thus
there will, at least, be less extravaganza.
But if he choose to be extravagant,
society will at least know that it is at his
own expense, and that thousand or
more people are not working extra hours
to contribute to the means for living such
a life. And his fortune W. . continually
grow less, until either he or his children
must rise from their5degradation and hu-
initiation to the honorable and exalted
position of earning what they get, and
instead of being pampered paupers, be-
come worthy aud deserving citizens.
We may not be able to do away with
every means by which money earns
money neither can we prevent larceny
and murder. But we can do what we
can. 1t is some satisfaction to know
that we can do something. We may not
be able to absolutely prevent the amass-
ing of great wealth. Men may make it in
trade or mining. But we may prevent
such wealth from becoming burden
upon society and we may do so without
robbing man of single right.
If man has done a dollars worth of
labor, he is entitled to the result of that
labor; or to oexchange it for the result of
the same amount of some other mans
labor. Society owes him no further
debt. And when he has spent that
dollar, he must go to work again. How
ever, if he is thrifty and saving, he may
not spend but so or Is cents before he
will earn another dollar; and he may
save so or 25 cents out of that. And
thus he may accumulate money for his
old age-and he will, if he be prudent
and provident.
And it is proper that he should lay by
certain portion of his income for that
purpose. Society does not object to this
it demands it; for it does not wish man
in his dotage to become charge upon It,
But society does object to his loaning
out his savings and living off from the
income; for then he is keeping his
money and making others work to sup
port him in idleness and when he dies
some one else draws the income, and is
in turn supported in idleness by the la
Dor of others and so on endlessly. A
man may provide for old age without
buying right to be supported at the ex-
pense of his neighbors.
True, if a man can arrange to receive
an income from his money sufficient to
support him without impinging upon the
principal, he will feel like quitting work
somewhat sooner than if his principal
were alone to be his source of supply
But society can stand it better to have
him continue to work, as long as he can
conveniently, to support himself, than to
have others work to support him. And
if once in a while a man should quit
work too soon, and his principal should
be all gone before death, it is to be hoped
that he has been kind and considerate
enough of his friends or relatives to
move them to care for him in his few
ramainino wears. If he cannot do so by