The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-04
The Mnlionaire,s Board and Clothes.

The Millionaire's Board and Clothes.
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie is an entertain
ing talker upon his favorite theme, the
Gospel Of Wealth. " as he calls it. Some
time ago he discoursed from a New York
pulpit in explanation of his conception Of
the millionaire $ duty to the community
y few nights ago at dinner Of a relig-
ious club al the St. Denis Hotel, New
York, he took the other side of the ques
tiou; that is. the community's duty to the
millionaire. And he asked pity for the
poor millionaire in such an artful way
that, indeed, it would be a hard hearted
person who withheld commiseratiOn.
For after all, said Mr.. Carnegie, all
that the millionaire gets out of the com
muuity is his board and clothes, and GER
tainIy nobody will grudge him those
II is, Mr. Carnegie acknowledged true
that he may wear finer clothes, eat finer
food and live in a more elegant house
than his neiyhbors do. But what
does it all amount to in the end
The rich man can take nothing
away with him: he cannot be rich him
self without benefting others; he cannot
acquire riches except through the pros
perity Of others. In countries where the
people are not prosperous there are ex-
tremely few millionaires, or none at all,
except by inheritance. Look at India
and Russia They have no milliouaires
except by birth. In France and Ger
many there are much the same Condi-
tions" In England there are million
aires, because the people are progressive
and in America there are still more of
them, because the American people are
the most prosperous in the world
The fact that a country contains very
rich men who have made their money
themselyes-men like Peter Cooper, the
Fields the Vanderbits. the Astors,
Armour Jay Gould and Mr.. Carnegie,
though Nh Carnegie didn't name this
lst-indicatcs its general prosperity
Take India, where there are no million
aires excepting the Indian princes, and
there is no country in the east where the
mass of the people are in such poor con-
dition. In Russia, where there are no
millionaires excepting those that have
been made so by the inheritance of royal
wealth, the condition of the people has
excited the criticism of the world In
Germany, where there were two million
aires. but where there is now but one,
and in France, where you can count the
milliOnaires on your hands, the condition
of the great mass of inhabitants is an I'M
favorable contrast to that of England. "
And then look at America with her pros
porous and happy millions and her POO
frrilIiapaip11 ChD,,11 81,
lonaire his board and lodging, even if he
did nothing more than serve as a marker
for us,
But the millionaire does more than to
remind US that we are a great and rich
people. He couldn't help doing it if ne
wanted to. Mr.. Gould was pretty "clOse"
with his wealth, so people thought, but
even he left the bulk of his fortune
slCeplessly and constantly at work devel-
oping the great railroad interests Of the
country" And with other milliouaires
it is the same. Except what is needed
for personal expenses, all of their money
is utilized TO make the community"
richer and better. OF course there are
returns that come from that utilization.
But the community viii eventually get
all of those, too, directly through the
owner or indirectly through his heirs.
MIR Carnegie says it should be given back
TO the community direct. And in this he
practices what he breaches; he has given
back several Millions and has several
more to disburse
In return for all these things that the
millionaire does for the community he
gets, actually, only his board and clothes.
How philosophical must be the mind to
grasp that idea correctly!