The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-04-12

IOllY, DuG l. prefer 20 see rich man
spend his money in foolish extrava
gance than in boarding it, Mr.. Wander
bllt wanted a tennis court that would
be the wonder of the world He in
herlted his money; and, so far as he is
concerned, it came to him honestly.
When he decided to build a tennis court,
he gave employment to hundreds of
men, for many days, at wages larger
than had been usually paid in Bun
combe county. This helped industrious
men to gain a better support for their
families; and, as the greatest cost of
the court was the labor of the men, it
Is safe to say that of this amount
seventy five thousand dollars went
into the pockets of laborers.
If Mr.. Vanderbilt had said to me: Il
have 800, 900 desire to spend in North
arollna in some novel way. How do
you advise me to spend it9" Icertainly
should not have advised tennis court
A hospital, a factory, or school would
did not ask me. The money was his
/ have no right to say how he shall
spend it, and neither has Congress or
any legislature. They can forbid the
use of wealth to injure others, but no
law can forbid the foolish expenditure
of a mans own money. Every other
millionaire I read about spends his
money in Europe or in ways that don't,
even Indirectly, help the workers. Ger
tainly none of the big rich ever before
spent a d0llar in North Carolina. /
rejoiced to see Mr.. Vanderbilt come to
our State and build a residence that is
an object of attraction throughout the
country, and lay out a lovely park
where rich and poor alike are made
welcome on Sundays and holidays
His expenditures in North Carolina
will approximate five million dollars.
1t is a permanent addition to the tax,
able property of the State, and there
fore Indirectly helps all the people; it's
expenditure will give permanent en-
plOyment to many people, for as great
an establishment requires many en-
ployees, and it will be the best adver-
tisement of Western North Carolina
ever made and be the cause of securing
the investment of many more millions
in the State. Every immigrant who
comes adds to the value of our land
and every dollar invested helps to bring
better times. Because / have no need
for tennis court and because I think
it foolish Extravaganza to spend so
much money in luxurious pleasure
plots and games when men are suffer
ing for bread, does not affect the case
at all. The 500, GEO spent for the court
did but bread in the mouths of the
poor by giving them employment. The
best help you can give man Is an 1Up-
portunity to help himself. The money
spent to erect the court belonged to
Mr.. Vanderbilt and not to me. If he
denies his responsibility to use his
wealth for the betterment of his fel
lows, that does not prevent my grAtifi
cation that the money is expended
where it will help people Of my native
State. l never saw Mr.. Vanderbilt,
but | remember that his family has
given more than a million dollars to
found a great Southern University,
and that they have thus added to the
opportunity of the Southern youth to
enjoy a university education, and
given financial aid to poor North Caro-
lima boys who are now preaching the
gospel.
MIR. Murdock's views about the high
RESPONSIBILITIES which rest on men of
wealth are identical with those [ have
expressed hundred times l go so
far as to believe that a graduated in
come tax ought to be imposed, so that
the very rich shall be made to pay to-
wards the expenses of governmen ent in
proportion to their wealth. If all
favoriteism, such as control the cur
rency, protective tariff, subsidies,
bounties, and extravagant pensions,
shall be forbidden, the people will have
an equal chance in the race of life, and
over grown fortunes will be thing of
the past, To the enactment of just
legislation; to the wiping out of all
laws that give protection to the few
to the dtthronement of the money
power which has too long polluted the
temple of liberty; to the abolition of
trusts and all combinations that enable
the few to plunder the poor under the
forms of law; to compel corporations
to acknowledge their responsibility to
the State to bringing the government
back to the simple and honest and
equal trend upon which Jefferson
started ito the advocacy of these de-
sired ends I have even before could
vote, consecrated my life, and if such
convictions make me 'plutOcrat,"
plead guilty to the impeachment.
JOsEPHUS DANIELS.