The St. Johns herald., 1893-05-11
Is There any Money In It!

struggle to ''get to the front" {" Every where the sign is,up, "This is my busy day" Money making and the love of the splendor which money buys seem to be the ruling Ameri- can passions. Churches must be splendid and solid ]; private resi- dences must reflect the wealth oi the owner and the taste which his money buys; offices must be fnish- ed and furnished with carving and gliding, with silver and gold bronze conveniences and luxuries for liv- ing-and especially for the business by which the living is made-must abound and be multiplied. The age is busy-money-making. Hearts are growing harder, sentiment is laughed at, sneers are launched at all things which have no money in them. It is not asked, ''Is there any joy in it, is there hope for some poor wretch in this?" but, "is there any money in it?" Of'enses are condoned, if the offenders profits are great enough, The moral sense of the public is dazzled with the flash of money. Combinations of capital are formed from the greed of those who combine because le- gitimate profits are not coming fast enough. Trusts are made to whip or crush the old fashioned concern content with the old way of doing business. There are institutions mighty because rich, yielding pow CT which the barons of old only hoped for. The influence of this great power is said to reach into the legislative halls and 10 touch the robes of the judges upon the bench. No doubt the reports of this infu- ence are exaggerated. There is more conscience behind the power than it is believed exists. But the power is great and what 1t may do the people are ready to believe it has done. The most shocking fea- ture of all this is that the people are not shocked. They read that the poor are growing poorer, but they ascribe such talk to the calam- ityites or answer 1t with Q phrase affirming great confidence in the good sense of the American people. A feeble vail goes up here and there but it is drowned by the cry of the enthusiastic money makers who are shouting, progress and enlarge ment" Away with the pessimists, they cry. "This is great and glo- rious country and here are rows of figures to prove our great prosper ity."
 That the country is prosperous is true. That the calamity howlers" are generally the failures who fail for natural reasons, is also true, But this does not make the other fact less true that the money-mak- ! ing, carried to such an extreme as it seems it will be carried if the | brakes are not put on, is one of the dangers to be avoided. Too much | luxury means destruction to repub- lican institutions. Concentration | of wealth in few hands means dis aster for the people. What is to be done? Shall we become thriftless ; and idle? Shall we cease to strive for wealth and it's comforts and lux uries? A certain class will answer with one word, law. Make laws," they say, against the money kings. Statutes cannot destroy greed and it is even doubtful if they car alter its practices. Perhaps better results
  could be reached by repeating a will derness of laws. Legislatures meet ! and promise great things for the people. Too often they promise 1 with a "wink of the other eye" and | perform, perhaps, with a law drawn by the had of a cunning attorney in the employ of those whose pro- fits allow them to employ the best talent. Or if not this, with a mix ture of phrases which the first court sets aside as meaningless and worth