St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-03
THEDE1FICAT1oN OF WEALTH

OI clu,UUU.
THE DEIFICATION OF WEALTH
The wise men of the world have been
carrying on vigorous debate in the
contemporary magazines on the oppor-
tunities and the obligations of wealth.
MIR. CARNEGIE. who IS very rich man,
has unfolded his views with much
frankness: and Cardinal MANNING, Mr.
GLADSTONE, Prof. +. j. PHELPS, Bishop
POTTER, Cardinal GIBBONS and JOSEPH
CHAMBERLAIN have contributed to the
public enlightenment from their stores
OF knowledge and experience. The
English and American periodicals have
been quite full of the subject, and the
symposium has been we'll worth attend
tending. 1t has remained, however, for
the Pioneer Press, a daily newspaper of
st. Paul, to advance the profOundeSt
aud most startling position on this much
nooted problem, and the discussion
could not be said to be complete without
its receiving greater publicity than per-
haps it has.
The Pioneer Press is a Republican
journal, which can always be counted
on in campaign times to back its party's
ticket with vigor and ability. But it
understands that nothing makes man
or paper more interesting to the aver
age acquaintance than a reputation for
moral Irregularities achieved without
loss of reputation or social standing.
The whispered suggestion that JONES.
who looks so mild. is at bottom really
the devil of a fellow, throws about his
torso cloud of mystery which saves
him from the commonplace. 1t pre-
vents people. taking him on theory. a
condition absolutely fatal to one am
bilious to shine as an attractive man of
the world.
The individual who consciously strives
for this sort of honor has to play his
part with much cleverness. If he over
does it, he goes out with the crowd of
lost souls. He has to choose his times
and his seasons with great care. and
plunge now quite deep and again stand
where the breakers can just eddy about
his feet. If anybody wants an exam
pie of how this thing ought to be done,
he should read the Pioneer Press. At
the lifting moment no paper could be
more respectable or more faithful to its
party's conventional creed than it. But
when the Dispatch and the Minneapolis
Tribune and the other dear old ladies
of its political family have ceased to
worry, and feel quite sure that it has
reformed forever, suddenly it makes
up its mind to be real tough, and goes
chasing after strange gods in the most
distressing fashion. 1t reels about and
speaks blaSphemously of that hottest
OF holy things, the protective tariff. 1t
shocks CUSHNIAN X. DAVIS by shouting
that the civil war is over. Its conduct
in general is quite reprehenSible, and
those who love it look on sadly. The
New York Evening Post begins to quote
from its columns, the most conclusive
evidence of moral disintegration, and
there seems only step between its
tipsy foOthOld and the nauseous abyss
of mugwumpery. But it has marvellous
recuperative power, and always saves
itself from this diSgracefuI end. 1t gets
over its debauch before election time.
and writes columns of editorials to
prove that cheap goods mean cheap
men, and that the man who vetoed its
pet trust company bill is just the fellow
to be governor or Minnesota.
The Pioneer Press has been on a de
bauch lately, just for the sake of being
interesting, and it has directed its flu
Silade against join S. GARRISON, the
president of the Republican league.
and the man who can kill off more Dem
ocratic pOstmasters in an hour than any,
body since the days of AMOS KENDALL.
The Pioneer Press does not treat him
with any respect at all. 1t openly de-
clares that it does not like him because
he is an eXecutioner, a spoilSman,a pro-
tectlonlst and everything else that is bad.
BUTT especially finds fault with his
views on the labor question, and here
it makes its profound contribution to
the contemporary symposium on wealth.
Mr.. GARRISON thinks that the Repub-
lean party ought to do something to
prOpitiate labor" and that wealth
should be more evenly distributed. y
This makes the Pioneer Press laugh a
hoarse, ghoulish laugh. 1t says:
Wealth should be more evenly distrib-
uted. : ndOuDteuly. so ShOnld brains nd
the one is about as easy TO do by legislative
act as the other. Fortunately, perhaps. Mr..
GARRISON does not Tell us specifically how
one man is to be prevented from '.piling up
millions. while another has to work hard
for living. 1t is much easier and safer to
fall back upon phrase which suggests a
respectful! petition, addressed by congress to
the Almighty, requesting Him hereafter to
create all men equal mentally and physically.
as well as equal befoee The law
This means that mems wealth is
given them by God. and that laws have
nothing TO do with its acquisition. 1t is
too bad that Mr.. CARNEGIE, Cardinal
MANNING, Mr.. GLADSTONE. Prof. e. ].
PHELPS, Bishop Potter, Cardinal
GIBBONS, and JosEPI CHAMBER
LAIN had nat seem the Pioneer Press
editorial before they wrote their articles
for the magazines. II would have ssyed
them a good deal of useless work. II
God is the author Of the modern alIot-
ments of wealth, everybody had Just as
well stop talking about it. II is one of