Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-10
Some Rights That Capital Can't Claim.

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
In discussing the trouble that exists be-
tween capital and labor there is constant
ly asserted the claim that a man can DO
as he chooses with his wealth, provided
he does no injury to any other person.
out of this assertion grows much OF
the misapprehension and nisrepresenta-
ton now clouding the questions present.
ing themselves for settlement by our peo-
pie. Let US examine into the matter ana
see If a man can do lawfully what he
may choose with his wealth, even II he
should not infringe on the right OF any
one. Would one Of the men, whose wealth.
say. is $50. 900 600, be permitted TO turn all
OF his property into bank-notes, and then,
after building vault TO contain the
cash, say l do not wish 10 make
any more money; neither do l wish TO
lend my capital on interest, but Will draw
out daily what I need for living eX-
penses, and let others do the bes, they
can? Would not the question present IT.
self: Has this man the right TO take
the currency, issued by the government
or the banks for the common use OF the
whole country, and by hiding IL away
lessen the amount OF money in daily use7
II one man could do so could not ten
men do the same? And there are ten
ffftn III lIt thiNSi ohdsto "hVot WNoiNh
Is so great that the whole currency, in
notes, could be absorbed by them and
taken out of circulation. Would II not be
held by those who thought rightly on the
subject that this wealth had been made
from the community. and by the labor
and skill of the employees Of those
wealthy ones, and they In morals and
in law owed something to the wants
and needs of that community and those
employees?
III that be so, does II not seem very
hard and cruel when we see man. say
Mr.. Pullman, making In a very short
time 100000 or $50, 0o0 900. and when pro-
fits become light, or cease altogether, II
you will, shutting down his works. or
what Is about the same thing, reducing
wages to a point that compels those who
helped him to make his fortune to quit
work?
There Is little difference in the two
cases. Pullmans $40 0O0, 900 Is In some tan
gible form, and he virtually says: II will
employ no more men. / will not carry on
business any longer. ] have had to make
contracts at q loss" What Of IL? Would
not that loss be but a small part of an
accumulation which ought never to have
been made in one lifetime? Nor would 4,
have been made except for excessive pro-
fits. profits made great by legislation. II
Is time We consider these things-fortunes
Of SO,0oo.OO0 in one short life; fortunes
made by government help. fabulous, un-
heard Of In any former time; but let the
times change for the worse and then
these parvenues tightly grasp what they
lightly made and declare they owe no OBJ
legations. either to the community from
whom they made their millions of money
or to the employees through whose skill
and knowledge wealth was gotten. BY
expressing these opinions I do not wish
to add to any acrimony between wealth
and poverty. but to cali attention to a
sentiment which will surely lead to trou.
BILE, because II has done 80 In the past
In other lands. LIBBY HILL.