The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-05-21
The Rich and the Poor.

The Rich and the Poor.
Cardinal Gibbons recent paper in the
North American Review on Wealth and
Its Obligations is receiving wide attention
from all those interested in the social prob
lens of the day. The Review of Reviews
says that 1.-The distinguished prelate utters
words which ring with truth and sincerity,
and calls the unthinking to a realizing sense
of their personal obligations. He sounds a
note of warning, too. which must not go
UNDECIDED, if the peace of tie nation and
the security of the home are to be main
tained." The cardinal says: IF we may
believe those who stand upon the watch
towers and scan the signs of the times. a
tempest of war. to which all former wars
were holiday tournaments. looms big upon
the hOr ION and threatens to whelm The world
in horrors. Wealth and poverty, they say,
stand more and more apart. and glare across
the widening chasm more fiercely. While
the wicked are proud, the poor man is set
on fire!' Capital and labor. after severe
skirmishes with varying success, are arming
for the supreme conflict. How i'm
minent the struggle may be no man can at
firm precisely, but signs there are which
may we'll fill us with disquiet. The rich
are daily becoming richer. the poor, poorer;
luxury, high living and the pride OF life are
on the increase. The thirst for wealth be-
comes daily more insatiate; the cries of the
distressed more sharp and loud and poign-
ant"
WEALTH AND POVERTY.
1.-THE economic conditions of the United
States are fast approaching those of Eng
land. The homes of the poor are more
marked by restitution and squalor; the light
of heaven is being closed out from miserable
tenement room and attic; flesh and blood
are becoming more cheap. and bread more
dear; the we'll being of the car horse is more
solicitously watched than that of the driver.
Small wonder that strong men, maddened
by the tears of wife and cries of starving
children, band themselves together, and
sometimes resort to deeds of violence.
1T is high time. then. that Gladstone,
Manning, and Hughes. in England, should
with grave anxiety review the situation and
sound note of warning. Most OppOr
timely. here, does a millionaire like Mr..
Carnegie declare it to be the duty of a
man of wealth. first, to set an example of
modest, transformations living. stunning dis
play or extravaganza; to provide moderately
for the legitimate wants of those dependent
upon him; and. after doing so. to consider
all surplus revenues which come to him
simply as trust funds which he is called
upon to administer; the man of wealth thus
becoming the mere agent and trustee for his
poorer brethren"
THE REMEDY.
"What. then, is the duty of all good men
to avert the crisis? The answer is simple
and all embracing. Back to Christ. his ex-
ample and his teaching! This is the look
ing backward available and practicable to
all. There is enough. and more than
enough. within the pages of the four Cos
pelS to disarm at once this array of class
against class. The sacred pages TEEN with
warnings to the rich. They are the words
of eternal truth. About their meaning
there is little substantial difference of Opin-
ion among Christians of all shades. The
bane of our times is that the voice is no
longer to many living voice. in the rush
and clamOr of money getting; the sacred
characters are Overlad and we'll. nigh Obit-
Grated by the daily gathering dust of world
illness. Yet. the Rev. Hugh Price Hughes
is right in affirming that in the Bible the
spirit of wealth and of greed is oftener in
Weighed against than the crime of adultery
or drunkenness.
I'm the evening of careers of unexam-
pied brilliancy and distinguished public
service. two of England's greatest men.
seer like. lift hands and voices of warning.
The conditions which have come upon that
land are. it is to be feared. fast assuming
shape and consistency here. Let. then. the
leaders of opinion and the directors of con-
science in this great republic strive ear
nestly and fearlessly by example and pre-
cept. to avert the coming strife.
above all, like the French workmen of
the Val-de Boise and that great Christian
socialist lie COmte de Min, let employers
and employed come together in amity, with
view to mutual understanding. Let them
state tlfir mutual grievances and ascertain
their mutual demands. and temperate
Christian cOunsels reigning, the result will
be lasting peace"
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