The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-06-22
Inequalities of Social Condition.

Inequalities of Social Condition.
| From the Chicago Journal.
Philanthropists who labored to mend
| the condition of society are prone to
| express gloomy views OF the industrial
progress of the age. Special students
of political economy, on the other hand
are almost unanimous in the conviction
| that the myrmidonsof industry are grad
| ually winning more of the comforts of
life and the amenities of civilization from
age to age. A mans opinion of social
progress depends much on his point of
view. The!practical worker among the
poor is deeply impressed by the unde-
niable misery about him, and forgets to
draw encouragement from comparison
| of the present with the past The mere
student of history is apt to content
himself with the conclusion that the
laborer is slowly rising in the scale of
comfort and to disregard the real pow
erty that continues to Cypress the lower
orders of society
Any man who, without being either
practical worker or special student,
undertakes to discuss these problems, is
apt to go wide of the mark Alfred
Russell Wallace is a distinguished author
ity upon the evolution of species, and
has also studied the phenomena of what
is called Spritualism; but his learned
researches have not qualified him to
speak with the voice of authority upon
hn nj
OUT which he discusses in a recent
review. Poverty and pauperism in
crease, he asserts, with the advance
OF wealth. In support of this thesis. he
cites the growth of private and public
charities, as if misery were necessarily
greater because it is better cared for.
He concludes that both in England and
in America civilization is in process of
decay.
On the other hand J. W. Mason, in the
April Journal Of Politics, maintains
that the popular discomfort is due en-
tirely to prejudice and jealously. The
laboring classes enjoy comforts and lux
uries which the wealthiest could not
procure hundred years ago. Some
euphonious phrase, as that "The rich
are growing richer and the poor poorer
catches the fancy of the masses, who ac-
cept it as complete exposition of indus
trial tendencies. Such sayings are seiz>
ed upon by the social agitator, and turn.
ed into texts of violent invecti yes against
the prevailing order.
This is tr,1a 70 1aupoa vol Mr. Mason
is as far astray ON one side as Mr.. Walls
lace is on the other 1t viii mol do to
say that the laboring classes, because
they have access to a greater number of
material comforts than their ancestors
could command, are in duty bound to
be contented with Their lot
The simple peasant is contented in
the midst OF peasantry, but if his neigh
bors outstrip him in wealth and position
he becomes dissatisfied. This is not
prejudice and jealously'' on the con-
trary, it is the natural and ,ventiable
comfort has little bearing on inevitable
happiness, but no one can endure with
out Impotence an ever>present sense of
inferiority. Even if the masses of the
people are growing richer in material
comforts, the statement that 1.-THE rich
are growing richer and the poor poorer"
may be perfectly true i'll effect. Pow
erty is relative term, and a man is
poor by the sight of all his neighbors
rolling in luxury. This is the canker
that is eating out the heart of the mass
es of the people If this is prejudice
and jealousy" the opprobrium of it
attaches to the whole human race.
There is manliness and self-repeat that
is superior to the accidents of social con
dition, and capable of di!rusing the suns
shine of content even through the abodes
of the poor who are surrounded by the
rich; but it is a rare jewel in this puz-
zled world. Certainly those sturdy quail
tiles which would redeem poverty of
condition from poverty of soul are not
less lacking IN the upper grades of soce
ty than in the lower and the want of
them should not subject the mass to
any peculiar reproach of prejudice and
jealousy"