The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-05

ideas and views among ,the disoontent
 ed. but do not believe they seriousl,
 threaten our government or its ifstitu
 tions.
 In the false idea of equal rights
 which seems to prevail in our country
 think there is serious danger to bs
 apprehended, It Is a question of mon.
 ey and the love of money. which is n,
 the bottom of 1t all. It was summed
 up' in the single sentence of the in.
 spired writer. "The love of money ir
 the root of all evil"
 The Idea of the fathers was that the government should protect the indi-
 vidual In the right to the property
 which he might honestly obtain. The
 idea of the modern agitator seems to
 be that no one man can honestly ob-
 tain any greater share of property than any other man. Sometimes this
 q redistribution of wealth. or necessary
 legislation which would prevent the &C.,
 quisition of wealth by some. and facil- itate It's acquisition by others; some-
 times an absolute and utter disregard
 of the rights of property however ac- qulred.
 Of the first of these propositions, lIt-
 tie need be said. The faculty of acqui-
 sition has always existed in the few:
 1t will always exist in the few. It is as
 much a quality of human nature as
 generosity. benevolence, shrewdness,
 thrift or carelessness. Whoever pos-
 sesses 1t will acquire and accumulate;
 whoever does not possess 1t cannot
 Redlstrlbute all the wealth of a coun-
 try or of the world, nobody would be
 any better satisfied with his condition
 than at present. The persons who pos-
 sess the quality of acquisition would
 soon acquire more than their propor-
 donate share, while the generous or
 the careless would soon part with theirs.
 The second proposition Is simply im- practicable. No country can legislate so as to- prevent the accumulation of large fortunes by all, It Is often said in these days that wealth secures leg islation, by which the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. l do not be- lieve 1t. The world has been legisla- ting against the improper acquisition of wealth for more than a thousand years, but without success. No legis- lation which can be devised by social ist or populist can prevent the acqui- sition of wealth by those who have the faculty of acquiring wealth.
 If the comparison be not invidious, look at the Jews. In all history they have been the subjects of adverse leg islation; not only that, but the vic- tims of persecution and spoliation; and yet their natural faculty for acquisi- tion enables them to grow rich in spite of laws and in spite of persecution, un- til they are reported to hold one-third of the personal property of the world.
 Let man be born into the world with the two congenital faculties, shrewdness in trade and avarice, and. that man will acquire wealth in spite of law, and in spite of every effort of others to prevent it. It is one of the necessary consequences of human na- ture that some men should have more of the worlds property than others, and 1t is not wholly an unmixed evil. The acquisition or concentration of capital is absolutely necessary to the real progress and to the development and improvement of the social order. That it has its disadvantages and bale full influences, we must admit. These operate to undermine and destroy, un- til finally, in the history of nations, they often lead to revolution and re- But the idea that equal righty among men require legislation by wl<,h one manscan acquire practi. cally as much property as another man is a delusion. ,3
 Governments should pass laws against dishonest practices. If there ire methods by which men acquire property dishopestly, laws should be framed to prevent such acquisition. We pass laws against usury, because the common judgment, of mankind de- [ 2ides that 1t is dishonest to extort a l nigh rate of interest from the borrower who is compelled by necessity to have money. And so whenever and howev- er fortunes may be acquired by those | which the common judgment l of mankind pronounces, dishonest, such | should be prohibited by the | enactment of laws. And yet appre- 1end that no law can be passed that will not be. evaded by a man whose leart is fully set on making fortune, md who is interruptions as to means ,f acquiring 1t. The laws which regu- ate our social order, not the laws upon ,ur statute book, take note of improper The ill-gotten fortune Is ,ither dissipated before it's possessor lies or during the next generation.
 think our present danger to-day ies in the growing sentiment of disre- ;ard for the rights of property and I believe this regard has its foundation n covetousness and envy and the idea | hat money is the real and only source | # happiness. This sentiment has been | argely produced, developed, strength ned and made dangerous by the .politi- l al agitator and demagogue., All men ,ote, and the voters determine what | he government shall be. The dema- 'ogue and agitator is seeking for votes or himself or his party. He finds some nen poor, others enjoying compe- ence, others wealthy. The wealthy 1 re the few; the poor are the many; he men with the competence are be- ween the few and the many. He as- tunes that the man who has nothing wants wealth, and that he who has a Ittle wants more. He appeals to pas- ion and, prejudice. He points to some ne who has acquired wealth and says That man has more than his share, nd you ought to have a part of what e has, acquired. Vote for me, and I viu see that you have it." Herein lies he real danger. and how are we to