The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-07-09
The Squandering of Wealth.

There is crime which has run in wild,
unbridled career around the globe, from the
most ancient recorded time. beginning in
advancing with the power and wealth of
nations. and fOurishing unchecked in mod
ern civilization. sapping the strength of ma
tions. paralyzing the conscience of human
ity. impoverishing the spirit and power of
benevolence, stimulating with alcoholic en-
ergy. the mad rush for wealth and power
and making abortive the greater part of
what saints. heroes, and martyrs might
such has been its insinuating and binding
power, that it has never been opposed by
legislation. and never arrested by the
Church.. which assumes to obey the sinlesS
Martyr of Jerusalem and to war against all
sins. and yet has never made war upon this
giant sin. but has fOndled and careSSed it so
kindly. that the piOuS and conscientious.
believing it no sin or crime, have lost all
conception of its enOrmity, and may never
realize it until an enlightened people shall
pour their hot indignation upon the crime
and the unconscious criminals. This crime
pid conscience has so long tolerated without
resistance. and which antiquity admired in
its despotic rulers: splendid in proportion to
the peoples misery is that misleading form
of intense and heartless selfishnesS which
grasps the elements of life and happiness.
the wealth of nation, to squander and de-
strOy it in that OstentatiOn which has no
other purpose than to uplift the man of
wealth and humble his poorer brother.
That purpose is crime: crime incOmpat-
bic with genuine Christianity. Its crimi-
nality is not so much in the heartless mo-
tive as in it's wantOn destruction Of happi-
ness and life to achieve a selfish purpose.
That sqandering wealth in OStentatiOn and
luxury is crime becomes very apparent
by a close examination of the act.
There would be no harm in building
$780, 900 stable for his horses, like
Syracuse millionaire. or in placing $780,
900 service on the dinner table, like New
York AstOr, if money were as free as air and
water; but every dollar represents an aver
age days labor. Hence the $780, 900 stable
represents the labor of 1000 men for two
years and four mouths. 1t also represents
700 lives, for 81, 900 would meet the cost of
the first ten years of a child, and the cost of
the second ten years would be fully repaid
by his labor. The fancy stable, therefore.
represents the physical basis of 700 lives.
and affirms that the owner values it more
highly. or is willing that 700 should die that
his vanity may be gratified. The desire for
oStentation, as one of the great aims of life.
is inwOven into the whole fabric of society
to the exclusion of nObler motives for Os-
tentation is death to benevolence. How
many bankruptcies, how many defalcatiOns
and frauds. how many absconding criminals.
L~ol
constitutions. how many social wrecks and
embttered lives are due to its seductive in
fluences. because the Church and the moral
sentiment of society have not taken a stand
against it, and education has never checked
it. for it runs riot at the universities patron
lied by the wealthy?-JOseph Rodes Bu-
chanan, in the Arena.