The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-09
DEFINITION OF WEALTH.
Something New for Political Econ
onaists to Consider.
A Critical Analysis OF the Word which
Defines It's True Meaning and
Limitatlons-An Interest
Ing Study.

The term "wenlth" seems TO have
been formed by combination of the two
old Saxon words, "weal' and things"
and the process may have been like
this: Veal things, weal-things, wealth
pronounced as two syllables, with
''ings" dropped), and finally wealth rs
we now have it. But, however formed,
that the term wealth is Identical In
meaning with wcal-things there can be
no doubt BY examining these two
words, therefore ascertnining their
meanings and combining them, If the
work be we'll done, the exact and com
plete meaning of the word wealth will
appear.
The word thing" says the Chicago
Journal, springs from an old Saxon root
which signifies ''to be heavy" But
what is heavy is of material substance
and is an object of sense A thing,
then, is any material object cognizablo
by the senses. But it is especially used
of what is without life, though in com
mon speech all living beings below man
arc spoken of as things, and even man
himself when thought of as belonging
to the animal kingdom, as in the phrase,
''all animals and inanimatc things But
strictly speaking, man Is not accounted
thing, because he Is n moral person,
and this higher element of personality
raises him above the sphere of things
Veal has the same root as well. To
t'c wcll-that is TO be in state that Is
wcal-is to be in health, and that is to
te in the state of fullest, most active
oad most unimpaired life This Is the
keynote word of the whole matter
life. To be we'll is to be in q state
that Is wcal-is TO be in the fullest
degree alive.
The things that make for veal are
the things which make for to-be-wcll;
That Is to be olive, that is again, for
life. The things which mako for wcal,
that Is for life, came in human speech
to bc called weal-things, and this COM
pound word was contracted into wealth
BY these steps the correct and complete
definition of our term is brought plainly
into view.
Wealth is ono, or moro, or tho sum CT
things which make for life.
And here, in passing, it may be said
that life, and especially life as found in
man, Is the keynote word of oil that Is
contained in what men have been wont
TO call political economy"
Now take this definition us mcasur-
ing staff In the hand and 80 abroad
through the world and measure off the
array of things therein All things
which make for life arc veal things
wealth Wheat, corn, grain, fruits,
root crops, food things of every sort,
arc wealth. So are all implements TO
provide them. So are clothing, fuel and
all implements to provide these So arc
all things to help about them as In
transportation and exchange
| But human life has grades, and those
things which feed it in its higher grades
are also wenlth-as works of art, to
Illustrate the higher, spiritual side of
human life, or hospitals, to illustrate it
again.
But are mushcts and cannon, and all
the munitions of war, wealth? In so
fur as they are needful to help some
life preserve itself against destruction
by other life, they arc wealth to the
lives they preserve; but they are deuth,
which is ''illth" to those whom they kill
in preserving alive those whom they
defend But to the whole sum of human
life on the earth, they arc rnonstrous
| SNiit W INC oNSpU Oih lIOIll Cuc cITIn us
the heart of human kind is healed of its
impulses to rob and kill In truc
economic sense nothing that is made
for killing men is wealth; but only
what is made to make for life for all
But, finally, are not human faculties.
powers, actions, activities and the like
wealth? No: they come not under this
word. There must be another word for
them. if one would escape confusion of
mind and utter clear thought In ao-
clrate speech
Only the material things which make
for life are wealth, and all those things
| TINT word Includes