Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-03-27
Luxury and what II Means.

For any one who has Imagination
there Is q curious and wonderful
story behind luxurious" bill of
fare. Let us begin with the wines,
and let Us assume that they are gen
uine, for one can usually have the
authentic thinA by paying the price
for 1t. The wines in a richly deck
ed table really represent the walk
of hundreds of French pheasants,
with their wives and children, who,
in the midst of lovely country, rise
early andl toll late, with loving and
tender care watching over the
growth and ripening Of the fruit of
what is one of the most beautiful and
decorative plants in the world. Mil
lions of these thrifty, simple people
depend for their well being and com
fort on the constant demand for
wines, and for the best and pureJt,
and therefore the most expensive
wines.
The rich do not compel these peo-
pie TO work--nature compels them
to work. What the rich do is to in
nuence the direction in which they
shall work, and to bring within their
reach all kinds OF commodities in
exchange for their work. Whether
these good Frenchmen, whh their
wives and children, would be better
employed tending some other kind
OF plant in their gardens Is totally
different question. and one which
am not going 20 raise. But the fact
Is that the most obvious feature OF
the luxury" OF the rich, the use of
costly wines, really represents the
well being. the comfort. the home
life of millions OF good Frenchmen
In that sunny land where the vine
yards are so rich source of beauty,
and of similar thousands OF families
throughout the Rhlneland or Italy,
or Portugal. or the Crlmea.
So other things on the same table
represent the well being. the family
comfort Of shepherds on the hills,
perhaps, OF our west, or OF Wales or
or the wealth OF fishermen
on the rivers OF Maine. or along our
New England coasts; or down south.
In the gulf. or In the oyster beds at
the mouths of our rivers; or, again,
the earnings OF hunters along the
fringes of the sea marshes. or among
the woods and hills. or on the
prairies; vigorous. adventurous men,
with a warm love of every changing
aspect OF natural beauty, who ere
thus able to lead half-wild lives un-
der the fair romes OF heaven. II Ia
Just this putting in motion a huge
army OF folk, scattered over wide
spread regions, carrying out exact
ing tasks, that makes the cost OF an
expensive hananet, and the rich man
IS simply a factor determining In
which OF a score of directions a con-
slant stream of resources shall flow.
bringing the power to work. and re-
for work, 20 a varied army
IF good people all over the world.
Once more. / am not raising the
question whether these people might
lot be better employed doing some
hing else. II is quite enough 10
iay that they are their employments,
ina that they are able to keep them,
because there Is a demand for Just |
hese things, a demand wholly due,
,r in large part due. to the posses
ion of riches. The rich man Is
like a post in the stream,
,ast whom flows a continual current
He can direct II, 20 some degree. to
his side or that; but the stream
lows 10 him and from him, and rs
low is perpetual
For the basis of the whole thing
5 that the richest man in the world
annot spend a penny except by pay
ng some one for something. Sim
lie as that fact is. It is perpetually |
and we are harangued
bout the luxury" of the rich the
rator entirely forgetting that thst
lnxury" is only possible because a
ast army OF people are set 10 work
nd paid for their work.
The rich man Is merely a focus OF
and the distributing !
roeess must go on all the time,
therwise he can get nothing at all
or his money aud is as poor as the
oOrest Charles Johnston In Har-
er's