The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-02-19
TWO HUyDRED VTLLT0Es

Up tIIue over S2OU,UOO,UOO. Inc OlI-
feTent items are stated with such partic-
ularitY as to induce belief In their cor
rectness, and the New York CTesus Is
set down as the richest man in the
world. A few English noblemen have
property to an almost equal amount, and
the Rothchilds are reputed 70 have
enough to dIspel all fears of going TO the
POOR house; but the English gentlemen's
fortunes are mostly in landed estates,
and yield no such annual returns as MI
Vanderbilt enjoys. a landed estate IN
the old country does well if it affords q
yearly net profit to the owner of two per
cent on its valuation, whereas Mr.. Van
derbilt claims that his investments bring
him SIX per cent per annum-so that he
is not only the richest mau in the world,
but his property as whole is the most
remuneTative.
Mr.. Vanderbllt's colossal fortune OF
5000, 1000 is the subject OF consider
able interest TO his fellow citizens at the
present moment, and it IS made the sub
ject of much morslizing. The socialist
uses 1t as an argument against the per
-petustion of that social order and that
political system, which allow such i'm
mense fortunes to be accumulated and
enjoyed by one man, while hundreds
and thousands of people Just as worthy
as its lucky possessor are struggling with
poverty, and are often wanting the ne.
cessaries of life. The philanthropisl
covets Mr.. VanderbiIt's money, because
he could use 1t for the purpose of ameli.
Grating the condition of q portion OF
mankind, and, if he had il, he thinks he
would put it where it would do the mos
good. The infidel declares that God 4,
respecter Of persons, otherwise
He would interfere in behalf Of
the poor and needy, and see tc
1t that the distribution of worldly
goods was made more in accordance
with his ideas of justice. The educator
looks at the 100000, 600 and calculate.
how many schools, academies and col
leges the money would build, how many
professorships it would endow, what fine
libraries it would purchase, how many
poor bows it would graduate, and how
the benign influence that might thus be
spread abroad In the land would blesl
mankind for all ages to come.
The political economist looks at Mr.
Vanderbilt's great wealth and shakes hi
wise head despondingly, thinking tina
he sees in such large accommodations o.
property defiant menace to the best in
terests of the country. What, he asks, ii
the Vanderbilts, the Goulds, the Astors
and the other mIllionaires and silver
kings, east and west. should combine il
favor of one political party, and make 4
the tool of their seltishness and ambition
after they and their friends had elevated
1t to power? What If ali the rich meu
in the United States whose names arr
Synonymous with corporate greed
should conspire TO Cypress labor ant
secure the passage of laws for its per
petual enslavement? Even now it il
said that half dozen men, including
Gould and Vanderbilt, could so contro
the rates of transportation that the whelt
country would feel the evil effects anC
5000, 900 people would be made to pay
them tribute, directly or indirectly
what" ask these birds of evil omen
"wIll become of US when all the rict
men in the country unite in the Wander
biltian maxim-the public be d-d%
We do not belong to the class of IN
easy and respondent people who are
constantly borrowing trouble, because i
is the poorest loan man can make
There Is some danger to be sppre
hended from these great sggregatIoni
of wealth IN few hands, especially
when they represent gigantic corpora
tons, but the danger to our institu
lions is much less than many timid PEG
pie suppose, and for variety OF reasons
There is the Scriptural tradition of rich
es taking to themselves wings and flying
away, and experience teaches that thu
wealthy men OF to-day often are the
| poor men of tomorrow. Look at Ja'
Cooke, Henry Willard and other les
conspicuous examples of the suddeI
whirl of tickle fortunes giddy wheel
Mr.. VsnderbIlt's $2O0,OOO,OOO may b,
squandered before his death, if he doe
not follow the foolish example of hi
father and bestow the bulk of his for
tune upon one heir, it will be distributed
among a dozen. who will begin the usua
fight for the lions share. 1t Is CURRENT,
reported that Jay Gould's fortune dimin
lshed $50 600, 900 in one week in conse
quence of q raid being made by the bear
upon his securities.
Rich men are not as independent a
they seem to be ID the casual observer
and are held in check by the same re
straints that control other men. A mill
ionaire cannot eat and drink more thai
can hod-carrier; his health is often no
as good his tronblen are ten times a
great; the sum total of his eDjoyments /
no greater; and, when Death beckon
him hence, he goes to his long home a
naked as the pauper. Riches cannu
purchase happiness In this life, nor ca
the golden hand of wealth bride the On
who is to control the human souls des
tiny in the next.
But, returning to our muttons; let
be recorded that the seIfishness and III
self-interest of rich men cOnspire to kee
them on their good behavior. The hold
ers OF government bonds are forced to b
patriotic, because an attack upon thel
private fortune, and, say what we vii
about the greed OF corporations in gen
eral and OF the railroad corporations il
particular, it is VIGOROUSLY true that q
class OF men are so anxious TO keep il
favor with the public as that class who's
property rises IN value with the success
OF their constituencies. Great RAILROAD
enterprises, for example, such as tn
Vanderbilts and the Goulds control TEN
porarIly, depend as much upon the gooC
Will OF the communities which,lney pen
citrate, as the husbandman depends upoI
the rain, the dew aud the sunshine {,
mature his crops.
MASSACRE OF THE BRITISH
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