Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-17
FEELING AGAINST
P[UTOCRATS IS
DEPLORED
Forbes Scores Scoffing Poor Who
Would Gladly Occupy Places
of Wealthy,
BY 3. C. FORBES.
Why is Il that we worship money,
Yet damn those who have It?

BY 3. C. FORBES.
Why is Il that we worship money,
Yet damn those who have It?
We want to get riches but we de-
spise the rich. do we not?
How do you account for this?
Is the too prevalent hostility to
capitalists born of envy? Does our
own failure to win coveted wealth
emhitter us against those who have
succeeded?
Is there not danger Of carrying anti
capital feeling too far?
The head of an old-established in
ternatioual banking firm of the high
est standing here and abroad told me
the other day that the constant agi
tation in this country against the rich
is driving numbers OF very wealthy
Americans to Europe
"Some of my friends he remarked,
"find they can enjoy life more In Par
IS Berlin or other parts of the Cont
nent. and also in England, than IN
this country They are not subjected
to perpetual criticism abroad. Ihey
are respected and, OF course, their
money Is welcomed,
"can YOU blame them for living
where they find life most congenlal
"The movement, of course, Is nor
good for this country, as II means
withdrawing large sums from us
every year.
II understand. however, that quite
a. number of wealthy Americans are
preparing to join the American colo
MES in Europe, to take up residence
there"
The rich can take care of them
selves. we all know, and few tears VIII
be shed over the plight of those who
choose TO expatriate themselves.
Yet, for the sake OF the country,
for the sake of our own prosperity,
for the sake of business. might IL
not be we'll TO give the subject here
raised calm study
In other lands rich people are not
execrated. Governments politicians
newspapers and labor leaders do not
constantly criticise and harass them.
steady stream of abuse is not
poured upon them.
Will the explanation be offered
that that is because the rich people
of other nations made their money
more honestly than oursY Such an
assertion would not be fatterlng TO
our laws or our business ethlcs'
Nobody will accuse me of toadying
to the rich, or of having been be-
hindhand in urging reforms calcu-
lated to bring corporations and capt.
taiists under reasonable control ana
TO punish individual wrongdoers IN
stead of corporations
MAY | venture, therefore. TO ask
these questions and invite consldera-
ton of them:
Has the time not arrived to ponder
well whether we may not in1ure the
contry and its whole Industrial
structure if we do not modify our
anti-capital attitude and seek reforms
10 insure future welldoing, rather
than revenge for past deeds that, IN
the light OF current advanced Ideas,
now appear misdeedsY
Is il not time to reflect that men
who have honestly provided employ
hent for large bodies OF workers are
worth much to country?
Should we not temper our hostility
to the rich if their riches are the
sole objection we have to them?
A young country needs capital
and--under our present order OF
things--needs capitalists. We also
need corporations. We need big cor
porations.
To foster ill-will toward men who
have made their mark in commerce
of any description r. provided they
made IL by fair means-is wrong.
The effect upon the mind of able,
ambitious youths is poisonous. 1t
tends to restrain enterprise. 1t en-
senders ass-versus- mass bitterness
II is not fair play,
Seeing we are anxious TO make
money ourselves. why bear sense
less malice toward those who are
where we want to be- Our attitude
toward plutocrats is one can not
analyse--at least not with results
creditable to ourselves.
In writing thus | realize | am apt
TO be misunderstood. What | have
hurriedly jotted down is crude and
disjointed, but do think 1t raises
questions worthy of serious refiec-
ton.
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