The farmer and mechanic., 1911-05-23


the changes that have taken place
since the founding OF tn, eaantrs.
hen the Constitution was formed ra
saia, the hole country was Tot worth
over one billion dollars Now Wr hax.
one ma who can claim that amount
as his private fortune ANA our totaI.
wealth exceeds Sll5.000, 100000 In
the beginning OF our government we
had 100000 people scattered over
10000 square miles Now we have
10000, 600 who occupy 100000
square miles. No country in the world
has made such rapid and lightning
like strides in gathering wealth as tho
United States. which has gained more
wealth and territory in two and 4
half centuries than Rome did ir t,u
and are now standing On the zzy
heights Of extreme Iuarer}aIlSlu.
The speaker then quoted Thomas
jefferson Who said thar in his daH h-
never saw beggar from Georgia ~
Massachusetts. When Dickens came
over 10 America 80 years ago h went
back and said that 4 bessar il Boston
was like Flaming sword.
Now, declared Mr.. Webb .We
have 1000, 900. officially declared pau
pers. He quoted Ambassador Bryce
who said that UP To 1880 there We're
no great fortunes in the United States.
but few large ones. and no poverty.
Nov. said the speaker. we have
more paupers and more milIonalres
Our population consists Of three
classes: the Very rich, the middle
class and the very poor Daily thi,
great middle class is being drawn upon
by the two opposite forces and i grow
| ing less Occasionally one Of this elias,
goes into the millionaire class ani
daily many are dropping into the pau
per class The speaker then went on
to show that there are seven men in
the United States with an aggregatn
| -1tl H.A
| allied with them worth $1,000. 000. 900
more. In other words these 20 men
own and control, s., 900. 100000 This
coterie of 20 men practically own all
the great public utilities There are
5000 people in the United States worth
SIS, 600, 000,00 which, if put into gold
would exceed all the gold in the world
today and have a balance of $4,000
| 0O0,O Ten per cent of the people
of the United States own 80 per cent
| of the wealth
After stating the above facts the
| speaker went on to tell how the wea IN
! of the nation is increasing at the rue
| of s8,000.000 daily. TWo-thirds OF
/ it goes to those who are already risn
and powerful Croesus was formerly
| regarded as the richest man in the
world and yet his fortune would not
pay the dividends of John ID. Rookie
| feller's Standard Oil stock alone for
months. If the oil kings daily in
come on Standard Oil were converted
into gold it would take seven men to
carry it, while one-fourth of the fam =
lies of the United States live on less
| than $400 per year. one-third on $500
and one-half on less than 5000.
The speaker then went on to tell OF
the want and suffering in the United
/ States, Of those who are strugglin =
gainst odds, while their hearts are
hardened against conditions that en-
velop them.
Not only" said he. lis there men
ace in the great concentration OF
wealth, but this condition (referrins
| to the concentration of wealth. has
produced a class known as the idle
rich, who spend wealth with prodi-
gality hitherto unk noWn in the his
tory of mankind" The speaker then
gave examples of this. Il believe" 5"
said he that the next constitution n
written 10 govern the people OF our
| North American continent viii limit
the amount of land one shall own, the
amount of wealth he shall possess and
the land and capital stock one corpo-
ration may possess, and 1t Is very
probable that the new principle VIII
then be set up that the earth belongs
to the living. This constitution may
be written in revolution, but it viii be
written
Congressman Webb then went on TO
say that there was danger in schools.
colleges and churches accepting large
donations contending that such has
a tendency to prevent them from ad-
equately criticising the methods by
which the donors acquire their great
fortunes One gold king, he said. has
given away s174,000, 600. which is a
mere pittance. compared with ms
great fortune, while another counts It
a disgrace to die poor, and counts ms
gifts at s192. 100000. Such men,
declared Mr.. Webb. are willing to 90
most anything but get off the people
backs"
In conclusion the speaker said that
it gave him heartfelt pleasure To say
that North Carolina was freer from
the influence of ilI-gotten gains thah
any of her sister States. and no lhS'l-
tuition stands more nobly Tor the fis ht7
the Main IeDpIe tiln