The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-21

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rnan nor from one example % 6ispropor-
tlonate eisp.ay. TIE sings illustration
ard rhs corresponding warning are mani
fessfntigrsk o. facts and feelings taRt have
rnuea % 30 with the s9cia' troab5es. the
inequalities and ei2corfeut - the present.
day II l. not q new question. however
Ages ago Patio and Aristotle spoke villa
no uncertaln sound o. the dangers 90 iay-
I'm display. In ire early days % Chris-
tsanity the protest against oFer-fnaulgercs
r. taa iuxurtex o. life wss earnest anf cor
start No other Illustration was needed
than the ruin o. the Roman empire
through tire folly % the rica- Noraftsts IN
a. ages have agreed that proafEaiftY b
waste. Tire difficulty today. however,
lies IL the definition OF Iaxury In the state
meat OF Limitation for expenditure. 10
lrouelae law can - laid down for All nIs-l
alike What might be considered luxury
for ere man you'd not be- - FOR au3tner.
And what might have been profusaon tn
the past may be paFs4mony tn the present
Froportionallty Il TIE opiy true test. Prof.
Tsemis gives = fair deanltion of luxury IN
the statement that luxury j. whatever
contributes chiefly 10 enjoyment rather
than 10 a better training % cur p0Ners.
LuKarg - defeusf8ls only In 80 far ~ u
does not hlndaE tae development Of bet
tar manhood I'll ~ and In a. those whom
~ could influence
meaning ~ comes from the Latin Iuxuria.
and this from luzus. meaning pomp. ex-
cess. la this sense b. Stands for anything
INDUCED IN from personal pleasure or graf
ticatlon and not from necessity. The
w0rf necessity. however. needs defining.
II cannot he limited 90 mere creature COM
forts There are other necessities than
those Of food. clothing and shelter Men
raj necessities require books. schools. pub
lic libraries, colleges. universities. pictures,
musical Instruments and other kindred
faings. Moral necessities demand all these
and more. Spiritual ~ well as mora needs
eaH for religious institutions. The church
- ali important even from the standpoint
Of temporal wants. a city without a
church" would soon be city without com
mercs. The story h told OF shipwrecked
sailors landing on what they supposed TO
be a csnnibai island and crawling eau
tiouslE up the slope OF a hAi, when the
man Ia the lead suddenly tossed his cap
In the air and shouted with triumph
Come on. boys; here's church, sig
ulhcant illustration OF the value Of a
church 20 society Even pleasure. is "a ne-
eessity. As long A. IL does not interfere
with but contributes 10 the better life OF
man. pleasure cannot be regarded as un-
necessary. The fact r. that anything that
tends 10 the highest good Of man, though
net required for mere existence, Is a neces-
stiy. The real question then s. one Of pro-
portion How far IL q man justiiied in
spending money for mis- own or others
qualification? what limitation. n any. Is
there 10 u1uryg Some say that a man
has right to do what he pleases with his
owa. Defenders Of personal liberty call
any criticism Of money expenditure impor-
Thence. Appealing TO Caesar that
Is. 10 the laws OF the land. IL
appears at Nrst as though the
defender IL right A. iong as a man
intorferes not with his neighbors rights
who shall hinder his extravaganza? No
civil stoppage prevents one from laying
out even million dollars On = single
nights entertainment. but Il there not
another Law 10 regulate the matter OF per
sonsl expenditure. the law OF common
sense, Of common Justice and common
love- Can man dismiss the public with
profane syilabie- II IL even more true
to-day than when Paul penned the words
that mo man liveth 20 himself" As a
matter Of simple Justice every rich man
is responsible To his feilow-men for the
sight use Of his riches. He who deaez
public opinion. miser or spendthrift. seeks
a. expel himself from the brotherhood OF
man ~ A man inherlts wealth he * san
obligated 60 bis fellows. John Stuart
Mil says: When men talk OF the an
Client wealth ~ a country. Of riches In
heTitszf from ancestors. the idea suggested
Is that the riches 80 transmitted we're pro-
dnced long ago The fact h far other
Wise. The greater part. In value OF the
wealth now existing in England has been
produced by human hands Within ths last
twelve months 4 very small proportion
indeed Of that large aggregate was in cx~
istence ten years ago. OF the present pro-
dHctlve capital % the country scarcely
any part. except farm houses aad fac
tories and few ships and machine. and
even these, In most cases. would not have
a - h..s
been employed in putting them into repair.
TIE land Subsists, and the land Is almost
the only thlag that suhslsts Everything
which is produced perlshes and most
things quickly" And, again; CAP al
g. kept IN existence from axe 70 age. nor by
preservation. but by perpetual Teproduc-
tton."
II man sccumulate~ wealth by care
e. attention 90 business. by in3ustry. econ-
oYny. shrewdneas aptitude he stis does
not earn r. az. Comparatively few rich
ssaen Rst rich hy their Individual ability.
and nome apart from the contributions OF
their fellow mgH. CtncumatanCes Tar more
than capacity prOfuee Individual wealth
1ife IN land values and rentals hy growth
- pen1'atisn. iHck. hy increase ~ prices
~ products. legislation. hy puhiic fran
chissa snd uaterual fsVorftf=rn play ir7-
rertant parts Csarity forhids even the
snerti0n - she dtshowarsh,e means Eusk-
IA -
tue dialogue; "Diek Tr~piu II blamed
suppose bv some plain minded person fe-
consuming t1e means vt other person =
iiylnE Nay saw Dtck to tae p'siu--ui-..I-
IS pcreea. Observe haw bnrserratty sod
pleasantly spsn1 whatever q get 'yas.
Dick persists ere pa minded person.
-fRat how asa son Ert ttr -Fsf Question o
sasys piek Is tus3iou= and Irrelevant %
NY2rn ths honest rich man saws MY
power anf the wtEst 80 rafoe haaa hath
gaften mo this wes'thF the answer SIS
4hou shalt rvn1omhsr ghe Lord tAy Gre.
fov BE- IL sac thef rtVeth cree frs rsse- &C.
EcS wcaith." Ana thts rememhra-ee SIRE
fstes = responsibility 60 a higher lsa chan
apNer 'aN % use pts wea1th ae he Nt'1. Pee
g. sttt hopet ~ TIE aigher lew of ,fus art
conscience 70 uks sss wes'th weH AMI
EtlEi Smother srENer b. Thou sa4tt Pes
f2emheF thy fellow -r1an. fc~ Pc hste EIt1-
taee npNeF 90 sct weaftN Tbaf many
Fioh 'uer reeoS@tse b>sh responsible. ttfss g.
n&tnnser8 ~ the nefsefs fset that sr the
year Uses despite EHe Eefurttars fn sn-
reaaes. ere amount ~ fo<.ttfsusl Sits az
money to America e7iu-afloras an5 ~e-
ftsiaus INSTITUTIONS sn3 charities libraries
aa8 hosrits's. museums rfr ar--esa Tea
s. Fsats3. a Sas1 - g. ~. a8 Cser lSS ar.
SaeaA a. oser 'SsA
Fhe question shea cf exueat.tuf- is rat
eo}y ore ~ law. baf also s-e rf exc
pssiency "A8 .a'-gs are Hsv crs} fs- .,-.
extreme Inifvtau-..sra Stay exctts-a rest
SIS ere ease p1 what tNe 'etssr sE f..rrs ~,
1sW slows. fGt fl carrrt escape tf.s ssar~
Hrs.tsfice. "aH tAlres ase rat ex.-..--t.
Tn fae aFst ptscc taerc SIS ghs esa..ts.- ~
ece-ausi- exne1te1cy. A c4r-ret ..s Inn
E=les ere rcaaas ~ tse c-ar-ry SO sai<