Gloucester County Democrat., 1905-02-02
CHAPTER XII.
PRIDE AND SIMPLICITY IN THE INTER


4 a better. stronger, serener life are
rather in US than in circumstances.
The diversity and, more than that the
contrasts in social conditions give rise
inevitably to all sorts of conflicts. Yet,
in spite of this, how greatly would
social relations be simplified if we put
another spirit into mapping out our
plan of outward necessitiesI Be well
persuaded that it is not primarily diff
ferences of class and occupation, diff
ferences in the outward manifesto
tions of their destinies, which embrol
men. If such We're the case, we should
find an idyllic peace reigning among
colleagues and all those whose inter
ests and lot are virtually equivalent
On the contrary. as every one knows
the most violent shocks come when
equal meets equal, and there is no
war worse than civil war. But that
which above all things else hinders
men from good understanding is pride
1t makes man hedgehog, wounding
every one he touches Let us speak
first of the pride of the great.
What offends me in this rich man
passing in his carriage is not his equi-
page, his dress or the number and splen-
dor of his retinue. 1t is his contempt.
That he possesses a great fortune does
not disturb me- unless ! am badly dis
posed But that he splashes me with
mud, drives over my body, shows by
his whole attitude that / count for
nothing in his eyes because | am not
rich, like himself-this is what dis
turbs me- and righteously. He heaps
suffering upon me needlessly. He hui
initiates and insults me gratuitously,
1t is not what is vulgar within me, but
what is noblest, that asserts itself in
the face of this offensive pride. Do
not accuse me of envy. I feel none
1t is my manhood that is wounded.
We need not search far to illustrate
these ideas. Every man of any ac-
quaintanee with life has had numerous
experiences which viii justify our
dictum in bis eyes.
In certain communities devoted to
material interests the pride of wealth
dominates to such degree that men
are quoted like values in the stock
market The esteem in which man
is held is pfoportionate to the contents
of his strong box. Here society" is
made up of big fortunes, the middle
class of medium fortunes. Then come
people who nave little. then those who
have nothing All intercourse is regu-
lated by this principle. And the rela-
lively rich man who has shown his
disdain for those less opulent is crush
ed in turn by the contempt of his su-
periors in fortune So the madness of
comparison RACES from the summit to
the base Such an atmosphere is ready
to perfection for the nurture of the
worst feeling. Yet it is not wealth.
but the spirit of the wealthy, that
must be arraigned.
Many rich men are free from this
gross conception especially is this
true of those who from father to son
are accustomed to ease-yet they some
times forget that there is a certain del
icaey in not making contrasts too
marked Suppose there is no wrong
in enjoying a large superhuity, is it
Indispensable to display it, to wound
the eyes of those who lack necessities,
to haunt ones magniicence at the
doors of poverty? Good taste and
sort of modesty always hinder well
man from talking Of his fine appetite.
his sound sleep. his exuberance of spir
Of IYrir,fr nf
consumption Many of the rich do not
exercise this tact and so are greatly
wanting in pity and discretion. Are
they not unreasonable to complain of
envy after having done everything to
provoke it?
But the greatest lack is that want of
discernment which leads men to ground
their pride in their fortune. TO begin
with, it is childish confusion of
thought to consider wealth as a person
al quality. 1t would be hard to find
a more ingenious fashion Of deceiying
oneself as TO the relative value of the
contaner and the thing contained.
have no wish to dwell on this question.
1t is too painful. And yet one cannot
resist saying to those concerned: Take
care; do not confound what you possess
with what you are. Go learn to know
the underside of worldly splendor,
that you may feel its moral misery and
it's puerility" The traps pride sets
for us are too ridiculous We should
distrust association with thing that
makes us hateful to our neighbors and
robs us of elearness of vision.
He who yields to the pride of riches
forgets this other point, the most iDl-
portant of all, that possession is pub
lie trust Without doubt Individual
wealth is as legitimate as individual
existence and liberty. These things
are inseparable, and it is a dream
pregnant with dangers that offers bat
tie to such fundamentals of life But
the individual touches society at every
point and all he does should be done
with fhp whole in view Possession