Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 292, 1 October 1891 — POVERTY'S DEMANDS. [ARTICLE]

POVERTY'S DEMANDS.

The following aole instructive article shows how the wealthy make use of the talent, whieh the grace of God places īn their power for good, but whieh is perverted to selfish personal gratification and for pomp and shojv. The writer, B. O. Flower, in American Spectator. also gives liis opihion as to the possebilities sueh selfish raay lead to: I do not imaginefr ī.c the gnaw* ing hungerof the tei s ofthousands of "out-of-works" in London, who, during the past few weeks, have wearily walked day after day many miles in seareh of work, was in the lea t appeased bv the lengthy description in the Loiulon daily press of the luxurious banquets and J<'tra given on every hand in honor of the wealthv monarch cf ' Icnnanv, who claims to rule by | <iivine right. Nor do I fancv the unlversai storm of di£content, t 7 whose inutterings* ure heard in every civilized land, will in any degree subside wheu tlie gaunt and hunger-eved iuillions read the details of the many acls of reckless extraviigence whieh iv.arked the impenal visit; such, for instaiu\e, as the following account of the casket given this foreign autocrat bv īhe nunik , ipaiity of London,—a citv within bcrders of

thousan<ls of men. women,' and little children werē starving to death at the moment of its presentation. * ' * ■•«?>'. The intelligence of the masses is l*rapidly reaching that point where bloody revolutions will inevitably: follow unless men and women of wealth speedily lay aside tho heaH-ij less selfi3hness and brutal inhumanity whieh characterize the majori-| ty of the rich to-day and recog.nizeij the duty devolving on every man | ānd woman who has "been supplied!j with means to liberally and freely j assist īn abolishing the miserv andli wretchedness of the world and|j bringing about a more just and c6ndition of society. The; idea of tbe moral relationship existing between man and man, ar.d the determination to secure a greateri meed of justice, are rapidly heeoming controlling thonghts among the masses. The muttering whieli preceded the French Revolution gaye ample warning to an aristocraey of rich and selfish creatures, heeded would have doubtless spared the world a scene of savage brutality whieh had been rendered possible only by the insolence and annv of wealth ,and power. Must this tragedy be repeated on a far more general scale, or will oui; rich and educated classes see the danger and from selfish c m©tives, if actuated bv no nobler ipipulsei avert it ? This is thcir suifr@tne ppportunity. They cannot, thanks to edupation, libertv and progress. drive humanity back into the serfdom from whieh it has been emancipated. But they niav be able to chāngB the feeling of bitterMess and hatred whieh is swelling in millions of hearts to that of fraternal goodwill, by liberal, earnest, and prampt steps whieh look towards theabolition qf poverty. at least of uninvited poverty.