Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-06

wealth itself as dangerousp
A Good Word for Accumulation.
"On the contrary, so long as the money is
kept in this country l regard its concentra-
ton in certain localities or in the hands of
individuals as of the greatest benefit 10 the
nation. Where men accumulate fortunes
and take money out of the country it is
serious injury, but corporation which ere
ates capital that is to remain here and keep
in motion as circulating medium is benefit
to the whole country. Only few days ago
a friend sent me book published in 1880 In
that volume | find an argument, carefully
prepared, showing how useless it would be to
attempt to maintain a railroad over which
cars could be propelled by steam. The
author discusses at length, affirmatively and
negatively, the question whether it will be
better policy to draw trains upon the pro-
jected railways by mules or steam engines
The Mule Had the Best OF 1t.
THE burden of the argument is certainly
in favor of the mule. The writer goes further
and argues that it might answer to run both
steam and mule trains on the same track
but think that | can detect that he is
rather fearful that complications might arise
They might get tangled up, you see. One
complication that he speaks of is that the
mules would raise a dust and that this dust
collecting upon the rails, would destroy the
traction power of the locomotives OF course
all this is silly to us now but when we re-
call that only ffty-nine years ago such mat
tiers were seriously discussed in scientific
books we see that the people of to-day are
better prepared to do their own thinking.
No, JAY, You Are Not.
I've wouldn't allow any such a man to
think for us now. That was only fifty nine
i
political science of century pasti Look at
the locomotive how it has grown. 1t is a
much better, purer specimen of mechanical
skill than it was when Stephenson started his
engine at the old coal road at Oar ington
Look over the entire field of science, art,
labor, the arena of human toll and endeavor
-yuo behold progress everywhere. Has the
science of government alone retrogressedl
Has man, he has developed under our
splendid, our glorious civilization, grown less
self-respecting, less pure, more venala Would
Bishop Potter tell us that men in public life
are mostly careless, small, petty. penurious,
purchasable creaturesy All, he takes the
pulpit into the job lot, too, special pleaders
for bribery and vote-vending. / am glad l
cannot agree with DR. Potter. | don't think
so badly of my feIlow-men and I'm not
called Abou Ben Adam
Mans Noblest Ambition.
1--WE must also recognize the fact that the
railroads have done something for this coun-
try. Now, what is a railroads 1t is a COM
mercial enterprise created to do business in
business way. If men grow rich for all the
plutocrats were once poor and build rail-
roads and prosper, who is benefited. Are
not the people at large the real gainersi 1t is
generally idle to give money to the poor.
hz.,,. 10 -
ton makes the recipient more wretched than
he was before. The noblest ambition that a
man can have is to devise a successful
scheme for the employment of his fellow
men, whereby they earn a living for them
selves and their families This is what at
least some of the plutocrats have done This
is what the creators of wealth and values
have accomplished. They are certainly of
the people. Is not the field of labor widenedf
Every new railroad, as fast as built, needs
engineers, trackmen and conductors, and, in
fact, all classes from the lowest to the high
est
For Instance, the 81" Road.
Look at the elevated railroad Iii this city
of New York. Only few years ago before
the little one-legged railroad in Greenwich
street began to seriously do business, nearly
every man who went up on the west side of
New York and invested in property became
ruined thereby The elevated railroad sys-
tenn on tine west side of New York changed
all that. There has risen a new and beauti-
full city. What was the elevated road sys-
temf 1t was a creation of capital Am / to
be told that the men who united to create
this great factor in the city's improvement
| are dangerous to this community?
But, Mr. Gould, Bishop Potter particul-
arly specifies that the class of rich men who
are dangerous are those who use their wealth
to secure legislation, to buy votes at the
polls"
Never Heard the Word BE fore.
"Then ! understand such to be his meaning
Of the word 'plutocracy.' Oh. WELL | didn't
know the word-never heard it before Crit
es of the age and the people in it should mix
with men-real men, Confidence in man.
kind is chiefly matter of experience. 1t is
not wholly matter of faith. There is such
| thing as being too intellectual; such a
| visionary science as the politics of the study
/ am not q politician and don't think
| about things I don't understand
Every constitutional government, linn
! tied monarchy or republic, is liable
to suffer from a corrupt use of money at the
polls in isolated places 1t is wrong, ought
to be stopped but what folly to charge it
| wholly upon any one class of the commercial
| community. Money has always been raised
| to conduct political campaigns, though diff
ferent party managers may hold different
views ON the question. ] am sorry did not
read Bishop Potters sermon, but do agree
| with the views you tell me he expressed re.
| garding the future of the nation We have
| only begun to grow