BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-09

connection between the war spirit and
the Haunting of riches, such as we have
been seeing these months past. Warts
provocative of the gambling mania.
Itself SORT Of huge lottery. il unsetile.;
mems IDEAS about the slo and regular
acquisit ion of a competence by prolonged
industry, and drives them on to
mad grasrIng after the great prizes.
War have always been the rich mans
opportu nifty to grow richer. The neces.
sites of the Government furnish him
his occasion. A swarm OF suddenly rich
army contractors was let loose cn tie
land in 1852 65. to disgust the observer
with their ostentatious display of bad
manners, but good money. Why blame
the men who, in the Spanish war, sold
their ships to the navy for three or
four times their value, if they used
part of their unexpected gain in
whimsicalities Of defiant expense, or in
trlcking out their wemen in very much
the spirit of Zulu warrior who pives
his wife nose-rings and anklets where
with to sit in the entrance of the kraal
to be admired and enyied by the
passers-by?
One reason why senseless exhibi-
ton of great wealth does NOWADAYS an
uncommon amount of harm, as the Pre-
sident says, lies in the publicity which
attends every movement of the
very rich. They are not allowed to live
their lives to themselves, "the world
unknowing and the world unknown {"
Their heels are dogged by the reporter,
and the clicking of the camera accom-
Uprising Publaafalyy aafalyyqBSdiEting Bdstginsg and their
4aa a, oefore' let them like it, let them T
Apathe it. Every scrap Of their converl ,,1e1.-
'Rtlon, every variation in their MA nc of
.ravel or residence, all the petty dust Of
gossip that blows about them. have 70
= sven 70 an eager public which dotes
lpon = It's millionaires. They become
IND : OF example, or standard, or object
! l1Valry to countless thousands everv
ay:3 1t IS an appalling thought, but t
dpubtless true, that, as !" Doo1evs
ayslfhere is in every town some mar
WITH a strong jaw and a 1ovino
omar to help him., who reads Of tbe
splendors of the be.nuffed
.egaE IS OF the hour, only to resolve in
is secret heart to become rich ,au era,,oh -
'nir 'ns 81. aay TO surpass in his own person
lelT 81, sttperfuity of luxury.
l mere IS no doubt whatever that we
,eo "a an ways to reinforce ourselves
,alnSt the demoralizing influences of
eat wealth IN silly hands 1t is we'll
az we have humorists and satirists 70
ia the mirror up to their absurditinc
le Dalesques of Life are almost as
eful as the solemn reports Of social
entS IN the Times, for the pa,rnosa of
Inging a certain order Of advartisinn.
Jury into ridicule. But the roaie
Pc must lie IN the force of the better
ample which men of great wealth
nolued with good sense and hioh
IIIacter, are setting. Intelligent phil-
nTopy, the promotion of literat,,ra
OF art and of science, far.siohted J.
as Tor social betterment and for ed,,-
on-the rich men who delioht !,
wing by such means that thev Tecoo- !.
the great responsibility that goes
great fortunes, are the ones who !
en,ectlvely point out to their
w-t1nllionalres 1ll the more excellent
wealth recklessly and greedy
IS fTIghtfrl stirrer-up of social
ons. Envy and folly see in if onlv a
J lure OF themselves-"edition de -.
but the man whom great riches
es to great public services is not un
tne man whom the people delight
nor but the one whose ina,1enca AS1rr
most powerfully thrown against 49, :
Y IN its proSSar a',,d o-os
nd more or 49, d.,soarl ana more corrupt Agent
''s elous ioIms. B. SC