Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-06-07
GARNETT, KANSAS, JUNE 7, 1901.
The Duty of the Rich.

This, then, is held to be the duty of the man
of wealth:
Tc set an example of modest, unostentatious
living, stunning display of extravaganza; to
provide moderately for the wants of those de-
pendent upon him; after doing so, to consider
all surplus revenues which come to him simply
a, trust funds, which he is called upon to ad-
minister in the manner which, in his judgment,
is best calculated to produce most beneficial re-
suits for the COMMUNICATIVE man of wealth
thus becoming the mere trustee and agent for
mis- poorer brethren, bringing to their service
his superior wisdom, experience and ability to
administer, doing for them better than they
would or could do for themselves.
Mr.. Carnegie believes that man who does
not distribute his wealth before he dies, and
dies rich, dies disgraced. And the best gifts
that man of wealth can make to cominunl-
ty are in the form of endowment for Libraries,
colleges, universities, churches, inuesums, pub
lie parks, city improvements and decorations'
church edi6ces and the like.
Such is the idea of the duty of the rich, as
held by one of the 1ich And it must be ac-
knowledged that this view is great improve
ment over that neld by the rich as rule. That
all wealth. over and above the amount necessa-
ry for the rich man to support himself and
family in modest unostentatious living, is to
be held simply as trust funds, is an old doctrine
| which few of the rich really accept, and which,
| if they did, would make this world vastly bet
ter. So this gospel Of wealth, by Mr.. Carnegie,
\ as shown by his magnificent gifts to cities and
institutions all over the country, is great ad-
vance over the theory of the absolute right OF
rich man to do what he wants to with all
that is his.
Butt is it not strange that it does not occur to
this great philanthropist that the greatest char
itv. the supreme service to a community, would
be that service which should make charity tor
ever necessary? That whatever should be
done towards enabling the people to get all
these things for themselves and by virtue OF
their own efforts, by giving them the full pro-
ducts of their own labor, would be Infinitely
greater philanthropy than all the museums and
| libraries given by one rich man as charity! 4!
The case illustrates the saying now current
among the people that "the itch are willing to
do everything for the poor except get otf their
! backs" 1t is disgrace that the cities like
| the Young giants of the West that they are,
having every resource of wealth, and power to
I pcoduce millions mole, should go begging OF
! some rich man tor public libraries, as so many
of omr cities have done recently. 1t is also
DISGRACE that the aborers, who produce the
wealth of the world, should be asked to accept
| as gifts of somebody's philanthropy Libraries
| which they haven't time to use, universities
which their chidren will never have time to
sttend, and hospitals which their sick Will
ne wer visit.
WINS. it seems to us, is the duty OF the rich:
II eff the backs of the poor; to relnquisli
,her ,sarned incomes; to give back their spec
-, mi, lDeges by reason of which they are en-
o,1ad % levy upon the labor and industry OF
| 49,, ,uo~,d And this is the supreme duty Un-
-, r lis frankly faced and fully discharged
-. substitute is all ahront TO God and
-. CHARITY will never take the place
70, examnle: Andrew Carnegie has made
~. ,,;,,;ors IN he steel industry. The Nc
Kinley tariff prote cted especially this industry
T. lent the nrice steel high. And yet, the
4 .nsor,e endured all this in order to create mil
! Tora;r. who should at least give back to the
people several public .1braries ana institutions
and so make himself fan ,ous as pnilanthropls'
But Carnegie and CONF nny were not sa''Sne.
with this special privilege and protective tarlff
.rbev wanted moe; so tl,ey decided to keel
larger shares of the products o. ine', ,aoo''''l
/ men. They reduced wages IL mao oeen al ~
oued that if they were. given protective tal'h