Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-03

Poverty" in which he combats the general
proposition. made the basis Of socialistic
appeals, that the rich are growing richer
and the poor are growing poorer. Now, as
to America in connection with this mat
ter" writes Mr.. Matlock. II am not quail
fled to speak with sufficiently precise knowi-
edge; but as to the chief countries of
Europe, and England in particular. 1t may
be said with the utmost condolences con-
fidence derived from the most authorita-
tive and various information-that the
above belief is altogether wrong, that 1t is
not only not the truth. but an absolute in
version of the truth. In England the aver
sge fortunes Of the rich are distinctly,
with moderate fortunes, of from ESQ to
fl 900 year. are increasing faster than
any other class; while 80 far as concerns
the increase Of the individual income the
the laboring and wage-earning masses.
Mr.. Ginen, for instance, the statistical
secretary to the board Of trade, to whom
English socialists, whenever 1t may suit
their purpose, are accustomed to appeal as
the greatest living authority, has declared
that so far as the individual income IL
concerned. 1t would not be far short of
the mark to say that the whole Of the
great material improvement Of the past
fifty years has gone to the masses And
whatever test We apply. the same conclu-
sion Is forced on us. The masses not only
receive as whole larger incomes. but
and luxurfes; they inhabit better houses
wear better clothes; they consume per head
an Increasing quantity Of bread, meat, but
ter, tea, sugar and tobacco; and as the
last census shows, the number Of persons.
such as clowns, jugglers. singers and the
humber class OF actors. who minister ex-
clusively to the amusement Of the poorer
classes has increased during the past ten
years by as much as so per cent II the
socialistic view Of the situation were true
In any particular, We might imagine 1t
would be true in the foliowing-that even
though the number Of moderate incomes
was increasing, the number Of employers
and small Independent tradesmen was de-
creasing, many small factories being mere-
ed in a few larger factories and many
small shops In a few gigantic emporiums.
But even this. when the matter is examin-
ed, appears not to be the case. So far as
1t Is possible to arrive at any conclusion,
the number Of manufacturing firms and re-
tail shops in London has, during the past
ten years, kept pace with the increase of
the population, or has even grown some
what faster; while the number of separate
Karl Marx predicted. increased from 8,SO7
I'm 1870 to 7,465 in 1866.
1T Is not, however, my purpose to go fur
Their into details. 1t Is enough for my pres
ent purpose to observe that the whole So
cialistic view Of the existing situation is
wrong-certainly 80 far as regards Europe
pre-eminent1y so far as regards England ;
and 1 believe 1 am right in saying with
regard to America also. At all events If
the case Of America differs in any respect
from that Of England, the difference is
due to some other cause than the modern
system Of industrialism, for that Is practi-
cally the same in both these countries; and
the natural tendency of that system, as is
shown by England, which is it's most COM
plete example, instead Of being, as the