New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-03
LOGIC lBOUT MILLIONAIRES.

Senator ingalls, says such bright things that
many are apt to miss important truths which ne
utterS. Rarely has a more important state
ment been made than the declaration by Mr..
INGALLS, that he has searched in vain and cannot
find anv law in this country which does not Of
fer equal opportunities to all citizens. So-caled
monopolias do not exist in this country by virtue
of law, but IN spite of whatever existing laws
can do to prevent them Mr.. Ingalls's way OF
quitting it is this:
The Injustice of my fellow-cluzens has given
long interval for reflection and have been engaged
during tbs calamtous epoch endeavOring to ascertain
whether there is any law which prevents me from hay
ing a palace on the Hudson or In Kansas, private
car steam Yacht and few hundred millions In gilt
edred securities I have searched in vain 10 discover
any legislation that did not bear equally upon Jay
Could and myself and the other citizens Of the United
States All have equal claims, so far rs ! know, and
the only reason ! know why / am not millionaire
i. becanse | had not brains enough TO become one
The famous picture The Angelus brought
100000 No citizen prevented from painting It,
II only required few tubes Of color, ameishair
brush a small square OF canvas. and brains. The
ratry daubHr who paints pictures for - 90 apiece
thinks he is victim.
Under the half jest there is whole fact
Law does not enable one man to project or TO
bui!d railroad rather than another. Thousands
had the same opportunity to project the lines, and
70 get capital to join in building them Thousands
of capitalists bad the same opportunity to invest
therein. and only those who projected or in
vested most shrcwdly get to-day more than n
moderate interest on their money. To the few
who were shreWd, opportunities open to all
have brought enormous prizes, and that fact
stimulates to the utmost the invention. enter
prise and industry of ali. So of more highly
cultured gifts: no law prevents any man from
painting n great picture, or writing book which
millions will read or commanding princey
revenue as an inventor, an engineer or a scien-
list CAPTAIN Eads of ST. Louis began life sell
ing apples as a poor boy in the streets Of ST..
Louis.
Mr. ingalls, might go even further. No law
in the least prevents any ordinary workman
from lifting himself above his associates by
greater diligence or capacity, or by acquiring
greater Knowledge. On the contrary. instances
swarm al around us of men who have begun
life as wage-earners. with no unusual oppor-
tunities. but have attained wealth, power and
distinction. The whole tendency Of American
laws is to encourage such elevation of individual
workers. through development Of faculties and
powers which deserve success. The only or
ganized opposition to such eevatiOn comes from
trade unions and similar bodies, which suppress
the desire of the individual to reach larger bene-
fits by greater diligence and effort. and strive
10 fix the compensation for all workers Mt 4
limit which the least intelligent and industrious
can command Their teaching and influence do
more to crush down efforts OF individual workers
than all laws can do.
Mr.. ingalls, did not discuss partisan questions,
or he might have added that protective duties,
like other American laws, offer equal opportuni-
ties to every body. There is nothing 10 hinder
any man from engaging in the iron manufacture
or wooIlen manufacture. If he has not the
money, thousands without capital have been