New-York tribune., 1897-01-31

volcanic cataclysm In New-Zcaland Or else her
financial assistance is invoked in behalf Of the VIC
tins Of the plague at Hong Kong or FOR those VINO
have been widowed and rendered fatherless by
some great mining disaster within the limits oil the
United Kingdom. short time ago the queen WAS
asked to subscribe to less than three different
funds raised in connection with the loss Of the
great cane liner on the rocky coast Of Brittany.
And each woman in the British Empire who gives
birth TO triplets expects royal recognition In the
shane Of a number of gold sovcreigns proporionate
to the number Of children she has borne.
There is literally no end to the demands OF this
kind made upon Her Majesty's privy purse. and It
must be borne in mind that. although she receives
civil list from the nation amounting to some s2"p-
Op) per annum yet with the excer ton Of 100000.
every cent OF it is assigned to expenses connected
with the maintenance of the court. Indeed. this
$500 600 is in reality the only portion Of her official
income which she IS free to spend in charity or to
dispose Of as she Will.
IL may convey some idea OF the oppressive charges
to which people holding official place in England
are subjected when 1t IL mentioned that wheh
ceeded few Weeks ago 70 the Primacy he found
that he had been ALMOST financially ruined by ms
London. True. he received salary of $1,000
year. had the use of country seat and OF metro,
swallowed up oy the charges made upon it in the
shape Cf appeals for charity. but he was. more
Such an extent thai he is today as he himself a
mits in debt to the amount of over hundred
SS or ss for orr
1t is never fair to compare the charities OF MEN,
bcrs of the reigning houses and of the nobility in
Europe with those of millionaires in this coun
try. In the United States. when man has an In;
come of 100000 pc; annum he has II TO spend. and
practically each OF IL Is available for every pur
ever and elsewhere the Continent as well. when
a man has an income of $4,000 il is especially In the
case of the aristocracy and Of the nobility. accom-
panied By the possession Of land. Now this en-
tails heavy responsibilities and, above ALL exceed
ingly heavy charges. The owner Is responsible Tor
The moral and ply sica welfare of every tenant
his estate and although there are exceptions to the
rule IL cannot be denied that. generally speaking.
these responsibilities are observed and the duties
involved by them fulfilled This would be done
matter OF policy. even II there were no otner
dopends in great measure upon that Of the ten
ants The result is that the European nobleman
the entire sum at his disposal is not free to spend
more than $4,000 every cent OF the remainder be-
ing consumed In charges of one kind and another
upon his estate. Naturally he Garnet, therefore,
give to charity with the same munhcence as his
American fellow-subscriber.
OF course ii may be replied to this that there are
new European millionaires springing up all the
time who are perfectly capable. from financial
point of view, Of vying with the generosity OF the
Astors and Of the Vanderbilts 1t is curious fact.
however. that al! these new -1edged plutocrats In
ritoral magnates. For as soon as a man acquires
wealth the other side Of the Atlantic the first
thing he does Is u invest portion Of 1t In the pur-
chase of estate the possession OF which entails
the same kind of responsibilities as those which
upon the shoulders Of the old landowners. This
has its very great advantages. For. apart from
sons of these upstarts in the idea that the owner
ship Of lands and wealth entails heavy responsible
ties their fellow creatures and this In itself con-
stiutes a moral check and prevents their lives be-
coming useless 10 themselves and as pernicious
TO their fellow-citizens those of the sons OF
many rich men In this country