The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-08-20
BILL ARP.
He Discourses upon the Unhappy Condi-
ton of the Rich.
Atlanta Constellation,

| thousand years ago. lie was rumlnatlng
over the dissatisfaction of mankind with
their lot, their condition, their occupa-
ton, and he wondered why it was that
most everybody imagined his own case a
hard one, and that other people we're bet
ter of. Ever since then history has been
repeating itself over and over again. 1t
is the same in the town and country.
The humble tenant who rents land thinks
he would be happy if he owned it. The
farmer. who owns his farm would be hap.
py if he had few more acres that join
him. Country people imagine that the
townstolks have no trouble, and the
towusfolks long to be rich and live in a
city.
We are all looking over the fence into
our nabor's premises and envy their bet
ter condition. If our nabor has ice, we
want ice. If he has carriage, We want
carriage. But the truth is that the rich
nabor is no happier, for he, too, wants
something he hasn't got, and go it goes.
Vanderbilt won't be any happier in his
six.million- dollar palace that he is build.
ing at Asheville, than his humble gar
dener, who lives in cottage.
The wrong in building it is that the
palace becomes dead capital. Of course
the six millions were all paid out for la
Dor and are still in circulation, but the
money could have been paid out for
something of more use than house for
one family to live in. It would have
built thousand houses for the poor in
New York. That is what Peabody did
with his money in London. Mr.. Kiser
has just completed grand building in
Atlanta. It cost him hundred thousand
dollars, but it was wanted, is already oc.
cupied by the Terminal railroad for off.
ces. :. g. 80 IS.
+ The house is not dead, nor;tbe railroad,
|seither. j. Rents will accumulate and build
Z another house, and tie railroad will carry
us and our products all over this great
country. There is nothing wrong about
that. It is a fair and honorable business.
If millionaire should choose to spend a
million dollars in skyrockets just to see
the fun, it would be q sin. Cresus or
some other rich man once gave feast,
and the principal dish was humming
birds tongues that cose half million
dollars to get them. That, too, was sin,
and it is the follies of the rich that make
the poor SO mad, and keep up the strife
between capital and labor, A swell fam.
lily riding 200 yards to church in thou
sand dollar carriage proyokes bad
thoughts and ripens the fruit Of revolu-
tion. The question goes round: ''How
Gid they get all that money! never see
them work any" -.
Now, if the common people only knew
how little of real happiness WAS ;toibe
found in the homes of the rich, they
would not be enyious nor coyetous,
There are more closets in large houses
than small ones, and therefore more skel-
etons. There is rats nest under every
carriage seat and moths in every zeal skin
and a prowling thief watching the silver
on every table. The devil is asleep in
the rich mans parlor waiting for. bis
children. His imps follow them to the
saloon and the gambling table and the
brothel.. Not long ago I met friend-a
friend of my youth. he has worked hard
and made fortune, and is still working
hard for more, and the lines of toll and
trouble are set deep in his face. "How
are your boys doing 7" said.I. "Not worth
q d." said he. Ofcourse not. They
had no inducement. They never heard
their father talk anything but money, and
they knew that when he died they would
have enough. They we're just waiting
And yet there are poor folks who envy
him and wouldexchsnge places with him
Now, if a poor man, who lives in the
country, could only know and realize the
security that his poverty and his location
gives to his children, the security against
the temptations that lurk around the
towns aud cities, the deyilish snares that
beset society and destroy the peace and
happiness of its members, he would thank
God for his good fortune. The law oi
compensation comes into every situation
in life. A good man will not murmur al
his poverty. The man who brings me
wood hauls it six miles. His capital ock
is his lot of poor land, his mule and plow
wagon and yoke of steers, his az and
his strong arms. His children are being
raised to work, for he sets them good
example. He comes with cheerful
smile, and if the rain catches him he
makes no complaint. He has COW and
some hogs, and his wife raises chickens
and sells apples and eggs and potatoes
That man is a good citizen and his chill
dren are likely to be. He has no case il
court. and does not complain if drawn or
the jury or summoned to work on the
road. That family enjoys their food and
rest. and when Sunday comes they go tt
the unpretendiDg country church anc
listen to the counsels of the man of Got
and 60 home thankful to their Heavenly
Father for his goodness. This is the pic
ture. Can a painter or poet draw
better one? Indeed, these are the pictures
that painters and poets love to draw
Tom Moore said
I knew by the smoke that SO gracefully
curved,
Above the green elms that cottage wa!
near,
And said, "If there's peace to be fount
in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope fo'
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