Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-06-29
THE CITIZEN
The Rich and the Poor.

has been the scene OF series OF pngrlm-
ages, all directed to the shrine of the Fed
eral capitol, and having for their object
some mysterious alleyiation by government
al methods of the hardships of the poor
mans life The central idea underlying
these organizations seems to be that as
money Is the embodiment of mans posses
sions and opens up to him the road to
happiness on earth, and as the govern
ment possesses the right to coin money in
its mints and print bills in its offices, that
it also can be for the nonce the creator of
money. The members of these pilgrim
ages, termed Co1ey's Army, Kelly's Army
and the like, propose to go to Washington,
and by their presence to.give so imposing
a demonstration as to influence legislation
in the desired direction. One scheme is to
have the government issue bonds, bearing
no interest and payable in install
ments.
Whatever ones opinion may be of the
right of a man to be rich, it is far from
clear how the proposed issue Of bonds
could be conducted so as to produce any
good affect As the world is organized
and as humanity is constituted, there will
always be rich and poor. The deserving
| inventor who has worn his life out in de-
vising improvements in mechanical things,
the scientists who has worked for hours
evolving in the lsbratoIy new chemical
products, the bacteriologist who fluids a
panacea for the most dreaded diseases,
certainly rank as the benefsctors ofhumsn-
| ity; but the history of the world shows
| that it is precisely these classes who re-
| ceiye the benefit least commensurate with
the value of their work, when its impor-
tance to the rest of humanity is consid-
| cred. The inventor inYents and patents
| and the capitalist makes the fortune from
| the invention. This is the story repeated
over and over again. Yet unjust and
severe as it oeems, this is the definite lot
Of humanity. and there is no probability
that the cure of inequality of fortune will
ever be discovered.
| The typical inventor inYents because he
has to- and he may hope to reap modest
| reward from his work. Whether he does
| or does not, his very genius will not al
| low HIM TO be idle. The apparent inJuE-
tice has to be endured. But in spite OF
communistlc tendencies Of the age on one
| side, and of the undue accumulation OF
wealth By the few on the other side, ex-
amples sometimes appear where the
| benefactor Of humanity from the stand
point Of scientific or mechanical advance
| ment meets with an adequate reward. In
a recent address before the old New York
society, the General Society of Mechanics
aud Tradesmen, Mr.. Abram S. Hewitt,
well known from his prominence in the
iron industry, as well as from his political
record, gave most graphic presentation
of the results of The work of one of the
worlds greatest benefactors, Bessemer
We quote from the concluding portions of
his address:
"You all know about the Bessemer in
yeation of steel II was made in 1855 by
student in his laboratory. He PROFOUND
ed his idea to the world. but it took fifteen
years before it was successfully put in op-
GRAFTON. ! know Mr.. Bessemer very well.
He is a modest nlau who never soaght to
make fortune, but he has taken the re-
wards Of his great invention, and he told
me the last time | saw him in London
that be had got out Of his invention E2,
600 O00-nearly $40 100000. The contrib
ution which he made TO the world by that
in nventiou in the saving it has effected III
the ordinary operators OF society Il simply
ipcalculsbe. If were to ray we were
saving s., 900, 900, 900 year in this country
alone as the resul. of that Invention ap-
piled to every branch of industry, particu-
larly in tho transportation OF the goods
and the products Of the country, L should
certainly underestimate the amount. And
now / am going to say something even
more surprising. Taking the world to-
gether, the saving effected by that inyen-
tioa is greater than the total value of all the
movable capitol of the world one hundred
years ago.
zone man, by a single invention, has
contributed to the aggregate wealth of the
world more value than existed fifty years
before his birth. Now he has got ten
millions Of dollars 1t is great sum.
He will leave it to his children, who have
done nothing, have contributed nothing to
the acquisition Of this money. Whom has
he robbedl Whom vii, his children rob.
Who would be the gamer il he had never
received one penny for bis.great discovery
How much would the distribution Of bis
$40, 00c 900 over the face Of society add to
the fortune Of any single individual. and
how much has his invention added to the
fortunes Of all mankind~-ScienhyTc
american.