The Greenville morning herald. [volume] (Greenville, Tex.) 1890-1956, 1910-01-20
FIGURES WHICH MAKE MEN
THINK.

Cleveland MofIett, one OF the most
Industrious and reliable writers of
the present day, said not long ago
in an article In Success Magazine that
5000 men in this country actually
own (without counting what they con.
troD nearly one-sNth OF the entire
natural wealth Of the United States
money, land, mines, buildings, indus
tries, everythlng-which one sixth, il
put in gold, would give them all the
gold in the world and leave more tlan
nine billion dollars still owing them
These are startling figures, ,and
when they have been put forth sub
stantially before there have been
many men ready to ridicule them,
but they can not be laughed down.
How much wealth there is in this
nation is not difficult to be ascer.
tanned.
1t would not take either much time,
labor or money to ascertain the total
taxable values Of every state in the
Union, and when such values were
aggregated the total wealth of the ma
ton would be as nearly arrived at as
il possible under the present system
of rendition for taxation.
BY the same process who owns
the property is as easily ascertained,
so that it may be safely assumed that
Mr. Moifett writes with at least sub
stantial accuracy, and that what he
says is calculated to MAKE every in
telligent man think of what the future
has in store.
Many readers of The Chronicle will
recall that the late John H. Reagan,
in MANY ruh1ip t,nt f,vtE,
substantially the same statistics
which Mr.. Moffett gathers and groups
with such startling effect When
Judge Reagan spoke, however, the
concentration of wealth in the hands
of few had not proceeded as far as
1t has now, yet even then that far
seeing and patriotic man pointed out
the rapidly increasing danger, and by
the lapse of time-and short time
at that-his prophecies have been
translated into alarming actualities.
II there are only 100000 600 people
In the United States, then one-siXteen,
thousandth part owns one-siXteenth OF
the entire nation What is worse,
the increasing wealth brings inevitably
increase OF financial pawer, and one
merger or consolidation OF great
uhdAAial tpINNllS blNto lli'l thoNh
power to make other mergers and
increase the concentration OF money.
Then the whole fiscal and economic
policy OF the government, as relates
TO taxation, tends TO accelerate the
increase OF wealth in the hands of
those who now have most OF 1t. and
tG make heavier the burdens of those
who nave least.
To complete the picture set forth
above, it is necessary to say, as does
Mr. Monet. that, while 5000 roll in
wealth without precedent in all the
history OF the world, 100000 families
have an income OF less than $500 a
year.
Wealth and poverty, splendor and
penury luxury and want, are seen
every day in such glaring contrast as
has no place in free republic, the
boast OF which is the equality of op-
pOrtunity.
Only few days ago 100 men sat
down to banquet which cost 500
plate. while there were 10000 peo
pc who worked every day in sound
OF the reyelry Of the banquet hall
10 whom the cost OF one plate would
have been godsend.
This is written in no spirit of pes
simisml nor because OF any sympathy
whatever with those VINO rave against
rich men because they are rich, bu
the subject is dealt with because The
matter concerns millions Who now
live and generations ye unborn
Houston Chronicle