Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-23
A FRIENDLY CORRECTION


power to do the new work proposed.
No idleness henceforth as a conse-
quence, no restitution. AS another con-
sequence. no luxury and no wealth; a
practical acceptance of the Roosevelt
Bryan dfctum that accumulated wealth
is both sinful and dangerous"
Here is a notable case of mental
marsh fog over among the bayous and
the alligators. 1t is difficult to deal
with such a concentrated collection of
fallacies What is the matter with
pure reason in Florida? Statements so
strange would hardly be worth the
space necessary for Interrogation or
refutation If they had not the indorse-
ment of the Tines Union, a paper that
is characterized by intelligence and
progressiveness. Neither President
Roosevelt nor Mr.. Bryan has ever said
that accumulated wealth is both sinful
and dangerous. Such a statement, If
made by the president. who is not a
poor man and is a member of wealthy
family, would stultify him. If Mr..
Bryan gave rein to his imagination
and uttered such a statement he would
subject himself to criticism on account
of his high lecture fees and the un-
usual facilities for rapid money getting
that have been offered to him and en-
joyed by him in the last ten years.
What President Roosevelt and Mr..
Bryan have said what they believe and
what experience demonstrates to be
fact is that accumulated wealth in the
possession of irresponsible, unframed,
inexperienced, unfit or dissolute per-
sons may and does cause sin and may
be and is a prime source of danger to
the community. For example, the Car
negie method of administering for
tune differs essentially from the mode
adopted by many wealthy Americans
whose names are seen i'll print from
time to time. Carnegie himself, in his
Gospel OF Wealth." has made this
very point. In that remarkable PAM
phlet, which is too little read and
quoted from. he takes the sane posi-
ton that a wealthy man is wealthy
not merely because of his own in
genuity and diligence and skill, but
because of conditions for making and
enjoying fortunes which are provided
mot merely tolerated. but actually
provided-by the population of the
United States. Free government inn
plies the consent of the governed, and
freedom to make money implies up to
a certain extent the consent of the
community. In reviewing such
"ticklish" subject as the distribution
of wealth this point should never be
left out of consideration. A form of
wealth may be predatory. Up to date
Its prey has not made any violent re-
sistance. Our millionaires are not pre-
pairing to flee to Skibo castle and camp
in shelter tents on the laird's heathery
acres. They feel safe in America, and
among the many reasons for their Sc
curity is the fact that their wealth per
Sc has never been assailed; that neither
Mr.. Roosevelt nor Mr.. Bryan has said
that accumulated money Is sinful and
dangerous, and that the most radical
statement that has been made Is that
possessors of great wealth have some
times resorted to sinful and dangerous
methods of money making, and being
merely human and prone to err, have
FREQUENTLY shown that poor,
weak man. being burdened with huge
fortune. may easily become topheavy,
morally unbalanced and indulge In
modes of expanding his wealth that
certainly are both sinful and danger
GUS
Not content with attributing to
Roosevelt and Bryan sentiments which
are beyond the sanction of common
sense, our friend in Florida declares
that under the new reform program
which is being tested in England there
mise. Now observe the chain Of deduc-
lions: Therefore, no destitution; there
fore, no wealth; therefore, no luxury.
This is galloping logic. 1t has run
away with it's rider and carried him to
a fall. why should there be no luxury?
Why should there be no wealth? Surely
the new condition will vastly augment
wealth, which in every form is Gre
alton and a result of formative forces
and causes. Even gold is useless until
it is mined. and the diamond until 1t is
picked out of the dry bed of the stream
in the far away veldt and cut and pol
ished. 1t takes LABOR not only to
produce or create wealth. but to pro-
duce the very articles which mankind
agrees to call precious and to regard
and accept as the equivalents of all
other forms of wealth.
II radicalism In England should sue
coed in solving a problem which has
baffied even the newer and freer United
States, and should provide work for the
destitute idlers who are willing to
work, and should also compel the mill
lionaire idlers to go to work and to
become producers, there will be vast
and probably an unprecedented addi-
ton to the wealth of England.
And let US suppose that by great
increase of wealth the golden flood
should overflow the entire nation, would
the nation be. helped or injured? If
every man in England today, IL every
human being in that beslummed and
overpopulated and hungry country
south of the River Tweed had plenty
of food, clothing and shelter, oppor-
tunity of education for his children,
recreation and amusement for himself