The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-07-16
Concerning Money.


cessary to enter the banks, or cx.
changes, or other business houses Of
the city to hear it discussed. Two
men cannot meet upon the street and
talk for few minutes without men
tioning the subject incidentally, if in
deed it be not the principal theme Of
their conversation. Taking at random
page of newspaper We find fifteen
articles, of which eight refer directly
to money, three indirectly, and only
four that have no reference at all to
1t; while nearly every advertisement
IN its pages was inserted in the hope
OF making money. 1t LAS been said
by writer Of unquestionablc authori-
ty that: money is always a pleasant
subject" but we cannot help thinking
that the professor 8 experiences Of life
must have been exceptionally fortu-
nate to have caused him to arrive at
that conclusion The dullest imagi-
nation can conceive of many situa-
tions when money furnishes anything
but pleasant topic of conversation;
as, for example, in an interview be.
tween an impatient creditor aud an
impecunious debtor, or between a
manufactures and his employees, when
the latter are striking for higher
wages, or between the wealthy father
of young lady and her penniIcss
lover, when marriage settlement has
to be discussed, or between parsimo-
nious husband and an extravagant
wife, whose millinery and dressmaking
bills are overdue, or between an alb
sconding cashier Of bank and the
irate directors, when he has been ar
rested and brought back to face them.
But why go on with the list? There
are hundreds Of cases when the word
money" becomes decidedly unpleas-
ant to the ear. However, when a man
wishes to utter striking generality
he is not to be deferred by exceptions,
however numerous; but he might have
said with more truth that it is always
IAN interesting subject" because il
is SO personal, whether viewed from
the side of the capitalist who has SO
much money he does not know what
to do with it, or from that of the poor
fellow who has not q dollar in the
world, and who does not know where
his dinner is coming from.
The subject Of money was suggested
by newspaper statement that the
amount Of money in active circulation
in the country is greater than it ever
was before, amounting to about S27
for every man, woman and child in
the country. These figures may be
Approximately right, or they may not
be, but we are not going to either
verify or contradict them. What
strikes us in the statement is the idea
of the revolution it would cause in the
country if every man, woman and child
could have their equal portion of the
active wealth of the land. It is safe
to assert, however, that in the twink
ling of an eye the greater part Of it
would again change hands, since there
are many persons whose hands are SO
formed that money invariably "slips
through their fingers, and others have
in their hands an adhesive quality,
kind of attraction of adhesion, that
holds money as in wise. So long as
this difference in men 8 disposition
exists the dreams Of the communists
will remain but dreams; the rich will
go on getting richer and the poor
poorer the latter is a possibility.
1t might be supposed that in social
life this mercenary topic would be
avoided as being out Of harmony with
the pleasure and interests of refined
people; but such is not the case. The
most charming girl in the ball room
discusses with her partner the for
cO"So "uu pioopCCtS VI tuc QUIET HtrlS
In her set, or of their reputed admir-
ers. Or she will compare the cost of
certain articles Of adornment with one
OF her girl friends; or mention the RI
diculous price third friend paid for
the dress that makes her look like a
fright. Money is constantly topic
OF conversation at dinner tables, and
ladies are quite certain to mention
dollars and cents during the course of
a morning call, even though il only be
in discussing the funds of some chari
table association to which they be-
long, SO that the subject is quite an
impcrsonal one. To listen to them
one would think the professors 5 re-
mark about it being pheasant
theme justified. SO much interest and