The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-07-25

| II the Coreys had less, we shout
have more; or II they had more, WI
should have less. The Coreys. tn
Rockefellers, the Morgans, the Van
derbilts lost hundreds OF millions dur
ing the last few months. Where di.
Il go? To Memphis? Did the Com
mercial Appeals friends get any o.
ltg No. It has disappeared. Values
were destroyed and their wealth yaa
ished never to return; and when the
Commercial Appeal undertakes q
make the Coreys disgorge by legisla.
ting against them directly, II will find
that long before they feel the neces.
slty OF curling their most outlandlsh
frivolity, thousands of Memphians
will be feeling the pinch of poverty.
The foundation of these fallacious
doctrines Is the immoral belief that
the redistribution of wealth Will
bring happiness and social accord;
that money will cure all the Ills that
obsess the human family. Behind Il
is the inference that once there exist
cd IN the day Of unrestricted compe-
tition a better time, and that We
should get back to that condition.
Aye. we should. But It was con
dition Of the mind--eontentment-
not an economical status that made
for happiness in those days.
We have just passed through n
period of financial depression. and
few of us actually suffered. Fifty
per cent of the people of Paducah
during that time spent more money
on unnecessary Injuries than our
fotefathers would have spent to keep
body and soul together. and still We
sigh that the cost Of living IS so high.
The cost Of high living is high Good
Friends.
Our ancestors did not use tele-
phones, cook with gas. read by
electricity. have toilets IN the house
and stationary Wristbands In every
bed room. did not travel in Pullman
palace ears and tip the porter quar-.
ter for doing what he is paid to do
did not eat 81 lunches in the diner
and pay the help besides, did not
throw HOSES, with the clerk of the
cigar stand whenever they wished 10
smoke, and did not indulge an appe-
lite for choice steaks and a hundred
other Injuries, which VIC have coms
to consider the ordinary comforts OF
life. If we would live as they had "a
live. the most of us could retire com
fortably rich in few years on ouI
savings.
The most extreme extravaganza OF
the Coreys, who are blowing in" only
the excess of their income, is as the
wisdom Of a Solomon and the frugal
ity Of a Russell Sage. compared with
that of a family, which maintains an
establishment and would be an object
for charity II the head of the house
were to be laid of his job a month
There is danger, positive, impending
danger, to this country from the folly
of the times; not in the fact that We
are living better than our fathers did
not even in the folly of degenerate or
springs of the idle rich who entertain
monkeys with wine suppers at New
port: but in the folly OF the able
bodied man who makes a mo-lsey OF
himself, aping the habits OF the
worthless rich and adopting the POI
lltical views of the worthless poor.
Such a bent Of mind accounts for
the much lamented decadence Of the
pulpit. Socialism has supplanted
Christianity in many churches. as Il
has the ancient political tenets OF
great parties. and the two are as wide
apart as the polls. Christianity is al
truistic and self-sacrlhcing. Social
ism is both selfish and jealous
Christianity looks on the things OF
this world as dross: Socialism exal.s
them. The latter is the symbolism o.
eovetousness, envy, lust, greed and
hate. sitting every sentiment OF pa
triotism, looking upon establish. d au-
thority through eyes Of suspicion and
pessimism. II might be Christian.
like for a rich man to sell all he had
and give II to the poor; II is Socialis-
tic for the poor man to demand that
the rich man divide. The rObbei
rich and the coyetous poor are actu-
ated by the same desire. and If they
were to change places. each would dc
exactly as the other is doing.
The political party that seeks ele-
walton upon Soclalistlc platform, ar
raging class against class. according
to occupation or station in. life, aud
section against section by appealing
to the passions and prejudlces OF
men, is giving voice to the fraudu-
lent doctrine that peace and happl-
ness are dependent upon social and
economic conditions. and there Is but
one logical, progressive step-an-
archy. the destruction OF all property
rights, and relapse into original social
chaos.
Enough Of this gospel Of dlscon-
tent! Come, let us begin our polltl-
cal reform By renoyating our own
minds. Perhaps we may find that
half the smell comes from the breath
Of the demagogue let us consider
the good things We enjoy. and rejoice
In our neigh bor's prosperity. We ali
Joined hands for a sane Fourth, now