The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-15
MAKES COIN CIRCULATE
THE FOOLISH DoINes OF THE
SMART SET
The Poor Should Be the Last Ones to
Complain When the Rich Spend
Their Money-Even When a Rich
Man Wants to Help Others 1t Is Diff
,ficult to Know How

Although the Newport smart set
have not done any very remarkable
things this summer. it is rarely that
they fail to make good copy of some
sort. But the question is, are they to
be very much blamed? Circumstances
have placed them in the public eye,
unlimited means have somewhat turn
ed their heads and nothing to do gives
them opportunity to be foolish. Aside
from the few whose weird matrimo-
NAL records are open to question, they
are not such a bad set after all. Their
extravaganza and the expensive enter
tainments they give are indirectly the
cause of putting bread and butter in
the mouths of a great many families.
The poor should be the last to COM
plain when the rich spend their money
laviShly.
Not long ago the Newporters had a
fancy dress ball. which necesSitated
the making of many gowns and gave
work to all the dressmakers and seam
stresses in Newport. Not only that,
but the decorations for the ball and
the supper furnished much work and
We're the cause of putting a great deal
of money into circulation. All the ex-
travagances of the rich result the
same way, and it should be remember
ca That WHdC Is extravaganza IN q per-
son of moderate income would be an
everyday affair to the Vanderbilts. 1t
IS said that some of those Newport
women spend $4,000 a year on their
wardrobes. To a person of small in
come that seems wild extravaganza,
but if it is only one aonth's income
10 the woman who s ends it, the case
is different. And that $4,000 is the
support of innunnerable working girls.
aad they are infinitely better off than
If the wives of millionaires were mod
est in their expenditure. People should
bear these things in mind when they
sheer at the apparently foolish spend
ing of money.
These same Newport people are
most charitable when they find cases
of real want, and some of the silly
entertainments at which we have
laughed this summer have Melted large
sums for charity. There are, of course,
miliienaires who have not the dispo-
Sition to do much good with their
money, and then again there are many
who are doing all they can and trying
TO solve the problem of distributing
their wealth without pauperizing.
The wisest of philanthropists and
sociologiStS are against the indiScrim-
mate giving of money to the poor, for a
man is not always wisely helped by be-
ing supported. Many millionaires
stand ready to do great deal, If the
charity workers would only tell them
how to do it, but it is problem not
Yet solved. Helping a man to get on
his feet and giving him chance to be
supporting is surely better than
building an Institution to take care; OF
him. Given the inclination to distrib-
ute his money for the greatest good OF
the greatest number, and even sc
it is a great puzzle to a man to
know what to do. But one way which
does real good is to furnish legitimate
work, and that is done every time the
smart set spend money lavishly, even
if it is for foolish amusements. Money
circulated in this manner Is of untold
advantage.