The age-herald., 1897-08-03
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

CT. asing body of humanity who are. de-
 nominated poor Gin standardization
 of the term rich" by writers and takers
 of political economy) is becoming one of
 qhe burning questions of the honr The
 great mass of mankind is growing poor
 CT inthis worlds goods and tsne wealth of
 all countries is being absorbed by a com
 paraively few fortunate men. The im-
 provements in machinery, the great com-
 binations and trusts and the general
 trend of business enterprises tend 70 re- i duco the number of 1aborers, while the census neports show steady growth of
 our poula'tion. Men write about the exi-
 gencies of our times, and women who feel concern in human affairs discuss the
 future of that class of Americans who
 have not besn blessed with money. yet
 who manfully struggle against the pres
 ent-day financial odds I heard a discus
 sion recently on this subject between a
 woman fortunately situated and a man
 of money and high business position, who ! is kept very nervous and weary trying
 10 live up to standard to which he as-
 pires. There are few things more fatigu- i ing in life .than an effort to impress the
 world Win our importance, our mental
 powers and our superior position. It is
 such a waste of time as we'll, for we gen. 1 erally accomplish nothing, and make our
 selves supremely absurd to mem and wo- I mem of brains and education But this | fac; my wealthy friend has not yet dis | covered and he gives vent to his theo- | ries with a salf-compfacency that is vast
 Ey amusing to one of average intelligence. When this question was pat by the. woman of money to the man of money the other day, What shall we do with the poor man?" the man, with the air, of a statesman and financier .combired drawled out: Put them in the armyr'
 The great matter was settled in few
 words by this would-be Jay Gould. The hopeless knot which the largest minds of the world have been tryingrto untangle for years, was cut at one fell blow, by the genius of this man, who had but re- gently emerged himself from the vast army of the poor!- = A woman who sat near this pair while they disposed of the large majority of humanity, f1ippantly inquired: But, suppose they do not. care to. enlist, are they to be conscripted? And. after the army reaches several millions in num- bers, what will you do about it?' This woman further remarked "that a country which has a standing army greater than the remaining population, is not worth living in, nor worth fighting for"
 There is some other solution of the matter; it will not come from the dom- ination of money, nor from a disregard of the sufferings and needs of the unfor- tunate. There is no reason for constant war fare between the classes; there is posi- tion in the world for every man and woman to fill; capital is essential to la.- bor and labor is necessary to capital. One cannot succeed without the other; and neither will prosper while they are antagonistic, and at variance upon the political and economic questions of to- day.
 
 Our state and city have made provis- ion for the very poor and needy, who are unable to support themselves; and
 this charitable provision ought to, rid our
 streets of the beggars and rnendicants
 who confront us on many of our principal thoroughfares. It has become serious matter in other
 cities, and ordinances have been passed f0rhi6 hoe 1ss,1r Birmingham follow the example set by
 Atlanta in this regard. and our streets be relieved of the offensive specimens of humanity, who ask assistance from pas sers-by?
 Let them be sent to those institutions which are supported by the county and city for just such unfortunate creatures. There they will then have all their physical wants supplied, and our citizens
 will no longer be disturbed by the dis tressing sights, and eXcrucia ting sounds | which now greet their eyes and ears. Cannot Mayor Evans and Gen. Thomas | devise some means to relieve our people from the incaruate tragedies that now af- fiict the passers-by on our streets and avenues?
 It is now quite the fad with certain cla sses of Americans to live abroad. This they\do from various and manifold req sons. Some prefer Europe to their own, country, because they go with their new
 ly-gotten wealth into a fresh and un-
 tried field where their money becomes potent factor in social life, while the memory of their early struggles to ac- quire that wealth has been left or the other side of the Atlantic.
  Other Americans find the, literary and artistic atmosphere of Europe inspiring and congenial, while the court paid to genius of every kind in England and France, proves very refreshing and sat isfying to our ambitious countrymen. Among the notables who have dena- tionized themselves, and now reside abroad are Bret Harte M hn liues in