The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-10
Advantages at Hand
That Are Neglected
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.


are you poor man or woman. pity
ing yourself because you see no hope |
of better conditions?
Do you continually talk about the |
injustice OF the rich to the poor, the
cruelty of monopoly. and tho helpless.
ness of the wage-earner to better his
condition?
But are you trying to better your |
condition?
Are you using every opportunity to
improve your mind?
The land is full of free libraries. You
have at your command a hundred-fold
better opportunities to educate your
self than Benjamin Franklin or Alb
rahsm Lincoln had.
You are no poorer, yet they OBJ
tanned education. which enabled them
to rise in tho world to the high posi-
lions they occupied. They worked as
hard as you work, and more hours
| a day. But they used every spare mo-
ment to fit themselves for better
J work.
Are you doing that? Read some
thing which was said recently by Wal
I lace .. Wattles. 1t Is full of good
/ sense.
| THE old saying that it is no dis
/ grace to be poor is only a half truth;
! in the true sense it is really dis
/ grace to be poor.
! The Poor Ones of the World.
Nobody is poor or having a hard
/ struggle but (a) the ignorant, OBJ the
lazy, and (c) the incompetent.
This sounds harsh, and you are
/ ready to go up in the air about 1t;
1 you want TO tell me that the tenement
jewellers and wage slaves have no
chance, and so on.
"But wait a little. The wage slaves
really own tho world; they have created
it ALL and they could take possession
OF it tomorrow If they would. They
can begin at any time to use the fac
tories to make things for themselves.
INSTEAD of turning wealth out for their
lmasters.
But they do not do IT because they
are (a) too ignorant to know that this
is their world; too (b) intellectually
lazy to THINK, and SO discover that
| this is their world, and (c) incompe-
tent, because they do not THINK.
THE masses are not In bondage to
tanything but ignorance and intellectual
. llaziness: they can have what they will
if they will begin to THINK.
THE masses will be wage slaves al
long as the scent theatres are crowded
and the public libraries deserted"
When the Change Would Come.
When you stop to realize how many
more wage earners there are. how
MANY more employees than employers
e II does seem absurd to talk about ths
i army of workers being kept down By
:, the small number of employers. Should
!. ,he army of workers combine in
- great united, determined order ant
y declare cooperative conditions were
! Ia take the place of the present sys
tom of competition, the change would
: have to come.
l. Rut the wage earners will not thinl
consistently or with direct purpose o,
these topics.
1t is easier to complain and to seel
D for sympathy than 1t is to use TIL
- brain in constructive thinking to I'm
proyc one's situation.
]. Again let me quote Mr.. Wattles:
",rhe way to make people think i
to talk WEALTH
"That is the philosophy for tn
= masses.
"And the same applies TO you a. al
Individual.
IF the mass is not ready or willin,
\ to rise. YOU do not have to stay dow
= with it; YOU can rise above it.
but you can never rise above it i
Won keen tulkiIiS aOouIs yourself
= being down with u.
III YOU keep talking about your
d self as one of those who have har
times in getting along. you will con
B tinue TO be one of those who hay
hard times in getting along.
\ "Don't talk poverty in any way; don
\ refer TO It as existing.
4 "rALK WEALTH"
4 womnn,s Wonderful Influcncc.
And while you talk WEALTH, thin
ana talk OF the now conditions whic
ara forming about us every hour an
every day. Talk of the wonderful ii
m tuence woman is having on the worl
IS. ana the greater influence she will hay
everv wear. An influence for good, fc
+ 4, instice, for temperance, for cleanlines
n for order.
. .sa wnl be made city beautiful; whe
iii iii hare will he no pest holes, no CIV
rh,nntowns, no foul-smelling ten,
, AVIS no aeserts. no inpassahle Mace
M when there will be good roads I,
t "a dpld a nd loye 4 u itr., !. 4 ! .