The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-04

word is wholly the result Of human labor.
Great applause Al, some one will say,
how can that be; Is not the Wild grass ol
the prairics, upon which the cattle are fat
tened aud made into beef aud ready ion
the market. Is not that Wild grass, on
which we owe TO the Almighty alone.
wealth? My friends, that Wild grass docs
not add II 10 the wealth OF the country
until man, the hcrlsman pastures his cnt.
tie upon Il 10 be- fattoned by IL, aud made
ready for the market. II has no market
value 40 long as IL is merely grass. II Is
not until the hcrdsman Is there with his
flock and his herds and ialicns them upon
that grass aud takes them 10 the market
that there Is
ANY WEALTH Produced.
Another says, is there no wealth in these
mines that surround you, MIR. Thurman
In the iron ore aud the coal that Is every.
where in the hills Of this beautiful Hook.
ing Valley ! say no, not until the miner
comes with bis pick and his shovel and
gets that ore aud that coal out 10 the face
Of the earth. Great applause. As long
as IL remains buried In the earth, useless
and nothing made OF II, IL does not add 81
20 the wealth Of the world. II IL only
when the miner has come and has brought
II TO tho face Of the earth and given it n
market value that there IL anything added
10 the wealth Of the world. There is not a
writer Of political economy who ever wrote
line on this subject that was worth read
ing that has not affirmed this 10 be the
truth, and We know Il by reflection. Why,
the very Bible itself tells us
that the man who received tai.
ents and buried them in tho
earth and let them lie there aud
produce nothing WIS condemned 10y the
Master ~ useless aud q worthless man.
prolonged cheering But, nay friends,
the difficulty about the production Of
wealth Ia easily solved. ] have already
solved Il aud Il IL solved by all those who
have studied Il carefully and profoundly
10 the very bottom. But there Is another
question that Is more difficult by lar, and
that is the question Of
TnE DIsrRnuri0S on WEALTH.
The question Of how this annual product
which n added 10 tho wealth Of the world
Is 10 bc distributed. and that IA the great
problem that agitatcs society all over the
Christian world. tChccrs. Now, LET me
call your attention b. iow facts In regard
10 that, and want 10 appeal 10 you as
sensible men, as men Who want justice
yourselves aud want 90 do justice 10 all
classes. Lot MS see what distribution Is
made Of this annual product ol wealth In
the land. Why, my friends, II n dis
tributed between three classes Of men.
There is first the capitalist, 10y whom |
mean not the employer, but the man
who lends money TO carry on business
lie lends his capital or his money
10 carry on the business and expects
IN return rate of interest upon
bis money and II ho charges nothing bat q
reasonable rate nobody complains, every.
body says, That IL all right Next comes
the manufacturer, the employer, the man
| that carries on the business aud carries ID ON
partly on his own means, II he has any,
partly by borrowing money. but lastly aud
mainly by the labor Of the men whom lac
employs tApplausc. Now, this man,
the employer, ~ | Will call him, or the
manufacturer IL also entitled b. q fair re-
ward. A fair reward for what2 A fair ro-
ward ior his skill, fair reward for lhs
enterprise, q fair reward for the risk that
ho runs In bis business. and nobody be-
grudycs him that II he will be content
with
ram Avp HoNEsr PROFITS
nobody IN all the length aud breadth Of
the land bcgrudus him Ito profits.
| Then, lastly, We come 10 the labofing man,
the man whose bfawny arms, aud whose
level head, aud whose tklll enables him 70
pile ~ the wealth, aud that man is enti.
lied " bis iair reward, or the Scriptures