Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-27
THE MIRROR OF
PUBLIC OPINION

strewn far and wide. mot only have
thoy left these bats, balls, gloves. pad
and mask out here. but clothing as
well, and sofa pillows which they have
taken from various houses to usa as
bases. They Will never give these ar
ticles another thought, not even II IL
rains. They will spend the rest OF III.
afternoon In some sport or other, ana
II Is left for some person like myself
to pick up these articles and carry
them 10 the nearest house.
"But let me make prediction Four
out Of five of these young men who
ire go careless not only of other peo-
plos feelings but OF other peoples
property as well will be hunting jobs
long before they are my age. Sons Of
rich men as they are today they will be
glad 20 get any kind OF work by the
time they are thirty-five or forty. For
by that time four out of five OF them
win have gone through or lost such
money az they may have Inherited"
Another person who overheard the
speakers remarks objected TO his Sc
verify, but was soon silenced by the
business man, who drew attention to
many mutual acquaintanees Of middle
age who had belonged in their youth
TO gay and fashionable sets. most OF
whose members had long since drifted
into obscurlty and poverty.
| There is much that is manifestiy
| fanciful and unreal In the talk about
swollen fortunes and the privileged
few. For nothing Is so precarious as
wealth: nothing suffers, dwindles and
diminishes so rapidly. While we gaze
In never-endins wonder at the rela-
/ lively few fortunes which persist, the
greater number that are dissipated
and lost are but little noticed and
soon forgotten. Men who run through
inheritances, who make unfortunate
investments, who back Improbable
inventions, who open low-grsde mines,
who will drill dry oil wells and who
fail in business. either quietly or even
with a crash---these are far too nu-
merous. their losses too common
everyday occurrences TO excite the
least interest or amazement.
| There arc never lacking self-ap-
pointed tribunes of the people to rail
at the iniuuities Of concentrated
wealth. But the brief adage OF three
generations from shirt sleevss 10
shirt sleeves Is often a sufficient an
swer. New York's Fifth Avenue is
thought of as the major abode Of plu-
. tocracy. but by far the greater num-
Der of those who have homes there
today bear names that would have
. carried no meaning to the residents OF
n generation ago. Where there are one
or two fortunes like those OF the As
tors or Vsnderbilts, which have been
passed on for several generations
! there are literally hundreds which
|, were unheard of but fifteen or twenty
, years ago.
4 gentleman who because Of the ex.
istence OF millionaires and rich cor
porations fears for the safety OF th'
2 republic was recently giving the ben.
: eft of his views TO the Committee or
, Finance of the United States Senate
e The chairman, who Is a man OF few
= but pointed words, interrupted 70 say
"I supposs you know that nine-tenth'
OF the corporations have passed divi
dends. and that three-quarters OF Tn
so-called piutocrats can hardly pa!
their household bills today"
Within the last year II has been
commonplace retaark among busines
men that the old virtues of conserya
n tism, thrift, caution and carefulness
? have again come into their own. Il
iother words, the wiping out Of billion
. of dollars of inflated values, the eolos
: sal shrinkage of inventories and III
y personal losses sustained by uncount
q ed thousands of supposedly wealth
:, men have once more demonstrated tn
Il old truth that as long as such per
a sonal qualities as recklessness an
- carefulness, extravaganza and thrift
a improvidence and providence, are ur
/, evenly distributed among the popula
n ton there need be no fear that wealt
!. will remain permanently concentrate
: or it's ownership fixed. Those who tai
"a only of swollen fortunes and the priv
I. neged few invariably blind themselv'
a to the opportunities which CROWN
N Industry, new inventions and pr'
cesses, increased demand and increase
IA population are ever presenting TO II
N ambitious, thrifty and able-The Sa
:. urday Evening Post.