Evening journal., 1897-05-28
FRIDAY. May 2s, 1897.
rHE ERRoR on MALCoNTENTIsTs

THE ERROR OF MALCONTENTlSTS.
The "rich man" and the poor man"
are the two most important factors in
the worlds progress. In common con-
ception their so-called standing sug
gests the breach between the cruel
master and the tortured slave, but this
is In a great measure due to the false
impression infused by erring malcon-
tentists. We daily read and hear Of the
oppression of the weak, unfortunate
poor by the tyrant rich, but the condi-
tions thereof are too often ignored for
the worlds good. The corresponding
wealth OF the two parties OF civilization
affordsan interesting comparison show
ing how nature deals with the great
subject so as to prevent this oppression
from becoming general.
The favorite contention OF half-wlt-
ted social reformers, anarchists and
unsurpassed labor leaders, is that the
vast monetary wealth held by few
men, is a grave menace to general pros
perity. They profess to view with
alarm" the immense private holdings Of
the Astors, the Vanderbilts and the
Goulds. They bring figures TO support
their assertion that the bulk of the
countrys wealth is owned by a favored
few-say a hundred-and they reason
that this evil of concentration is daily
becoming more marked, that in the
course OF fifty years the masses will be
hopelessly enslaved, while a corporal's
guard of plutocrats, with the wealth of
the world in their Golfers, will use their
fellow beings to their own pleasure.
These alarmists are unrehecting, unin-
telligent people, to whom no serious at
tention should be paid A little study of
the worlds history should teach them
that II their theory is sound, the catas-
trophe they dread would long since have
come to pass. There have always been
plutocrats since human association be-
gan; men who, by their superior abil-
dty, superior luck or superior rascality,
outstripped all competitors in the great
free-for-all race for wealth. Croesus
was pretty well fixed" as the saying
goes. but he did not corner all the
wealth OF the world, nor did his for
tune roll on in snowfall fashion, after
his death, until it comprised all the
wealth Of the world. Nature has been
shrewd enough to set limit for mars
desire for wealth. Fortunately for man,
It works automatically, like safety
valve
Old Midas, who might be called the
Russell Sage OF his time, was not aware
of this wise provision OF nature. He
did not dream there could be limit
to his desire for wealth, and so he was
hugely delighted when he first learned
that he could have unlimited wealth.
And yet, with all his greed, IL did not
take him long to discover that he had
made an ass OF himself; that beyond a
certain comfortable limit he did not
really desire wealth. OF course, not all
of us come to see this truth as clearly
as Midas did. In fact, the most of us
leave this world with the firm convic-
ton that no conceivable amount of
wealth would have satisfied us. Ma
ture deals with these incorrigibles in
her own wise way. If Midas had per-
sisted in his mad desire for wealth
nature might, for instance, have given
him an impecunious nobleman for q
son-in-law. And thereafter Midas
would have led a busy life. For his no
BILE son-in-law would have had as su
perior a facility for making debts a.
Midas had for making gold. Midas
you will remember, turned whatever h
touched into gold. Well, you may b.
sure that the gambling debts and pal
ace repairs and poor relations of hi
daughters husband would have KEEP
him busy touching things. He woul'
probably have been made to get up o
nights to do it. He would have die
with a pair of hands more callouse
than a bricklayer's.