The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-14
Hoe and Pocketbook,

According to a song OF much summary
philosophy. "the colored man picks the
cotton and the white man gets the money"
Why are we not all rich? Why do most Of
us have to work? Are not the rich rich
because they systematically rob the poor1
Old and perhaps not especially fruitful
questions, which are repeated in substance
in another column 10y an aggrieved citizen
OF Brooklyn, who takes Mr.. EDWIN MARK
HAMS immortal poem for a text. "Why,"
he asks, docs the Man with the Hoe SO
seldom become even moderately well-to-
do2" The trouble is TO agree upon the
sense OF "well-to-do." Shall we say that q
man should be so esteemed who has the
ordinary comforts and even some OF the
luxuries Of life, who is able to send his
children to the public schools, who runs a
little ahead and not behind every yearT II
so, the country is full Of well-to-do laborers.
They have money in the banks, A great
many Of them own their houses. They are
prosperous men. They constitute the
great majority Of the adult male population
Of the country. Ifthey were not well-to-do
as a class, the country would be In a bad
way.
But why are they not rich' Because the
talent or genius, as 1t should be called. for
making a great fortune is as rare as genius
IL in other branches OF human effort. To
get rich in the fierce competitions Of bust.
ness a man must have q combination OF
penetrative intellect and sagacious judg-
ment. As a manufacturer no must find
new processes and new economies. As a
merchant he must grasp all the intricate
details OF the market ahead OF his CON-
p~etitors. This large vision will be found in
most OF the men who make themselves
rich. Commodore VANDERBILT foresaw the
mighty possibilities OF railroads and he
devoted himself TO them and let steam
boats slide. A successful investor In real
estate, like the late AMOS II. Emo. for ex-
ample, must have in his minds eye a pic
ture of the city as it Is to be. He has to
see the direction OF greatest growth in
value; to look ahead perhaps twenty or
thirty years. Few judgments are equal to
that. 1t IL said, we know not how truly,
that 20 per cent. Of the persons in business
fail soon or later. The prizes are few.
Even the seemingly plodding art OF fru-
gality, Of slow accumulation is not easy.
Quick come. quick gon is tho happy.go-
lucky history OF a good deal OF money.
To lay up is even an art dospised OF many.
The inability to have the cake and to eat it
does seem one OF the foolishest things in
nature. but it is a law not to be repealed.
As for the gentleman" who, like his
predecessor OF Beacon Hill, "never worked
and never will" what hurt does he do to
the Man with the Hoe? Tho father or his
grandfather, Ii Man with tho Hoe to start
with, had the genius to get rich. This son
or grandson lives on the interest OF the
principal, which Is invested in ENTERPRISES
that employ labor. His money Is working
for him. 1t is not "idle wealth. It keeps
him and plenty Of other fellows going. II
Mr.. CARNEGIE ever said that the people
who do the most OF the work never get
rich, he said a sentimental and not a saga
cious thing. He has done n good deal OF
work, and has got rich by his remarkable
skill and energy; and be started from
nothing as most Of our makers of great
fortunes do. Has he robbed tho poor ?"
Did PETER COOPER rob the poor %
Alas! This Is the old sour way of looking
at superiority Of any kind. We don't be-
lieve that many persons in all this nation
Of laborers have this envious disposition.
Because JOHN Dor has more money than
RICHARD Roe. must JOIN have robbed
RIcHARD1 As well might the midget com
plain that the giant had robbed him Of his
cubits. Perhaps our Brooklyn correspond
emit holds with N. PRouDHoN, but in this