New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-12
LIFE IND MONEY.

LIFE AND MONEY.
Tho June "Forumr has three articles which
discuss different aspects of the great centrai
issue in material existence. Mr.. Mallock writes
about poverty Sympathy and Economies, I;
the Rev. Howard Crosby considers "The Haste
70 he Rich,n and Mrs. Julia Ward Howe dis
cusses "Mcn, Women and Money" MIR. NAL
loci, has with his usual lucidity shown that at
present large proportion of the debate about
economic questions rests on sheer del'isloh
that the new school of reform represented by
writer's like Henry George have started from
entirely false premises; that the general ig-
norance of economic science among educated
people has made many of them easy dupes OF
these Misrepresentation and that the labor
ing masses are naturally led into all manner OF
errors by following tho sciolists who profess
to bring a new gospel No doubt there is much
truth in this, but then Mr.. Mallock goes on 10
show that economic science itself is in so cha
otto state that nobody knows how or where
it stands, and anybody may deduce the most
contradictory theories from its data. Surely
that is a situation anything but favorable to
the clearing away of the decisions which mis-
lead so many in these days. and which arc
chiefly miSchievous in encouraging pesslmlsm
conducive to the search for wild and desperate
remedies for evils largely imaginary.
Chancellor Crosby follows with his season
able protest against the haste to be rich, and
read after Mr. NIalloclS's essay this paper takes
on quite new significance. For is not the lust
of possession, the same haste to get rich, the
inspiring motive of that increasing restlessness
81 nlc thn
lists toward wild projects of general division
and such vagarics? The haste to get rich is
indeed a dominant note of the age, but surely
it has always or nearly always, been dom
inant note; and il to-day it is more in evidence
than ever, is it not because, contrary to the as
sumptions of the pessimists, the opportunities
for material progress are greater and moro
manifold than at any former time? Ambition
is not stimulated by the lack Of openings for
advancement, but by their abundance 1t is
because so many succeed in life that so many
more assert the right to succeed 1t is because,
in sober truth, the poor are getting richer-not
poorer-that the pressure of the times is so
strong toward all the avenues of aggrandlZe-
ment. and that even the unprecedented multi
plication of those avenues does not keep pace
with popular impotence. DIR. Crosby says
very truly that happiness is not to be secured
by possessing riches; but all that he urges in
this direction is an unconscious reinforcement
of Mr.. Mallocks positions concerning the gen.
eral increase of material prosperity.
Mrs Julia Ward Howe approaches the gen.
eral issue in a rather remarkable way. She
seems to entertain the idea that it would be
well for husbands to put their wives on sal
aries, or at least in some way to make them
money compensation for their work in the fam
lily. Perhaps we do not catch the idea cor
rcctly, but as it appears to us it does not COM
mend itself highly. That the wife should be
literally provided for and furnished with what
money she requires within reason and the hus-
bands capacities, is matter of course; but we
do not think many women would at all approve
of formal business arrangement such as Mrs.
Howe if we do not misunderstood her, pro-
poses, nor is the practicability of the scheme
altogether clear. Perhaps, too, it is hardly
worth while to add new teTors TO matTimony
at time when the prospect of change OF
state is already more than great many young
men dare face. If all the world were just and
reasonable and self-restraned and loving and
practising equity, no doubt the division of
marital possessions could be arranged without
trouble, and everything would go on smoothly
and happily. But it is TO be feared that the
race must make considerable advance before
Mrs. Howes recommendations can be carried
out, and meanwhile the prevailing haste to get
rich which DR.. Crosby laments is not likely to
bring the world nearer tho millennium. The
three articles we have here mentioned, never
;helcss, are distinctly hopeful in their general
tendency, and imply belief in the perfectabil-
ity of the species which it is encouraging to con-
template.