National Republican., 1888-06-03
Rich Men and Their Riches.


1t,rcported illness of JayGould naturally
suggested the questions, What would happen
in case Of his death. What great changes
would lie wrought In the financial world, if
any? What would become Of his vast
wealth? Would his death be blessing to
Tie country or misfortune When one
becomes SO rich as Mr. Gould he must neces-
sanly lie spCcuated about when he gets
eick, good deal Us king or other rulcrs
or persons Of enormou, influence are, and
without much show Of personal sympathy
sometimes
Mr.. Gould Is the richest individual in
America, at least he is commonly reckoncd
su and one Of the richest, If not the richest,
in the world. Four or five years ago when
there was Il serious question raised among
New York business men rs to his SOlveuCy
he exhibited to u sort Of committee, whom
lc invited for the purpose, uuincumbcred
securities that were worth at the time fully
StOCC0,OOO 1t was probably the largest
display of actual riches ever made at one
time ty an individual In America. VIM.
ii. Vanderbilt was at that moment worth
more than 100000, OO0-two or three times
that much, in fact-and SO We're the .\stors,
lut Mr.. Gould was worth great deal more
than the amount represented by the securi-
ties lie exhibited. lie simply wanted to
give evidence that he was not embarrassed,
and SG0,O00,0O0 was quite enough for that.
Whatever may be the exact facts in the
case, We doubt if the death Of Mr.. Gould
would affect the country one iOta further
than the natural interest that would be taken
in the death of an enormously rich man.
The time has passed when the death OF any
one mau can affect this country to any seri-
ous extent. Looking at it from the point OF
abstract truth, the death OF Mr.. Gould would
lie AL advantage, inasmuch as it would result
in at leasta partial distribution of hi: wealth,
The safety of the people in republic like
this lies in the fact that men never get too
rich to die and that great riches are not per-
IctuatCd IN bulk, as they are in England,
where the law Of prmogeniture prevails.
Every time rich man dies IN America the
mOnopUlstic character Of his fortune Is less
unod by the inevitable distribution that fol-
lows. As soon as W. ii. Vanderbilt died
his estate was divided up among his heirs.
An enormous fortune in bulk was cut up
into many parts-and a proportionatcly
greater amount was made available for the
general good of society BY and by the
sons Of Mr.. Vanderbilt will die. They in
turn will leave their fortunes to their chill
dren, and what was once owned by one
man viii ere long be divided up among flf-
Teen or twenty or thirty, and so on. This
process of distribution is constantly in pro-
gress, and with each new posscssor
there is created another chance
of some of the moneys being
given away for wise and bencilcent public
purposes. Mr., Gould is now the owner Of
say, 500, 900; were he to die this would, in
all probability, he divided up among his
wife and three or four children, and thus its
colossal bulk would be broken and its dan
pcrous character lessened. This process
will continue as long as the country lasts,
and vast fortunes will be accumulated only
Ia he distributed, the public in the end be.
ing the recipient of many advantages.