The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-11-26
Dress and Wealth.


Miss Guila Morosina, who has been
one Of the conspicuous feminine hg-
ures OF the horse show held in
Madison Square Garden, New York
because of her magnificent and
costly gowns for which she says she
spent 100000, has been severely re-
buked by Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes
the former tenement house worker
who was married to a millionaire
Socialist several months ago, and
the rebuke has been freely comment
ed upon as being righteous public
slap.
few days ago Miss Morosino was
interviewed by a representative OF
the press. She described her horse
show gowns in detail and sought to
Justify her great expenditure for
them by saying that it put money In
circulation and asked What would
the poor people do If they did not
have the rich to work for?"
please God" replied Mrs. Stokes,
with spunk and Indignation, they
would have more chance to work for
themselves.
Miss Morosina is not practicing
virtue by keeping money in cireula-
ton because she has not earned the
money; that the ones who earned it
should have it to put into circula-
ton and spend as they see fit. That
is Socialistfc idea of a more equal
distribution of wealth.
The statement that Miss Morosino
takes wealth from community by
buying her costly gowns, however. is
debatabIe. She gives in return for
what she takes. that is if she pays
her dressmakers' bills. She is not
taking without compensation because
she pays money for what she takes
and this money. while not exactly
wealth itself represents wealth and
can be turned into wealth. 1t is
merely an exchange. transaction
Money may be silver or gold. or 1t
may be wampum, Sleeps hides
meats or whatever may be used as
a medium of exchange. So Miss
Morosino may give for her dresses
real estate or anything that money
can buy. II there were no money
she would have to give something OF
value, so wealth. 1t is the proprtety
of putting that wealth TO the use she
does that Mrs. Stokes objects to.
Wealth is produced by labor. Mrs.
Stokes holds that the wealth Miss
Morosino has was not earned by her
self but by others. There is an idea
generally entertained that woman
should not engage in the ordinary
pursuits of physical labor, there is
no reason that she should live life
of absolute idleness and Toll in the
luxury of wealth without giving
something in return for it. There is
some mental and physical exertion
she may give in return for the
wealth she uses.
Therefore. If Miss Morosino and
those who are responsible for her
support have just got the money
they have and are doing nothing but
simply living in absolute idleness'
Mrs. Stokes is right in saying that
they should get busy and do some
thing.
Does the possession of wealth
mean mere idIeness? Does 1t not
generally require mental exertion II
not also physical exertion to keer
this wealth properly working II
anv one attains wealth he generally
has to exert himself mentally an'
nhysically to get it, but there are IN
nnnerable instances where people
are given wealth without having u
earn Fl. In such cases is not the ap
n1,cation Of that wealth so as TO pro
drce more wealth considered earn
ing labor If in the application
Wins others besides the possessor!
Most Of the great American for
tunes are made possible by lhilelll