41 years ago, after I had discovered the beauty of being able to write something and preserve it on a disc, I decided I should write a book, since I have always had an opinion about virtually everything, I figured lots of people would either share my opinions or hate them. I had written maybe a hundred columns. Columns in major and minor newspapers, and always enjoyed it. My first book had 354 pages, and 90 chapters. It was titled “I Hold These Truths.” I had no idea of obtaining an agent or submitting the book to a publisher, as I knew not how to do it. I just sort of sent it out to customers. It worked I guess, and I re-printed it four times. I don’t have it on my computer, but I guess the outfit that printed it four times does. It may be dated anyway, but the following is chapter 41 on page 48, so you can see that the chapters are brief and to the point.
“It’s very chic now, to hate wealthy people, and condemn the old, long dead, super rich, such as the Vanderbilts and Carnegies. It is supposed to be some sort of sin for those people to have had such gigantic mansions, servants, boats, and private railroad cars. I happen to think it was a wonderful time in American history, and one to be cherished, not scorned. Those rich men weren’t stingy by any means. They did wonderful things with their money.
“Andrew Carnegie built hundreds of libraries, giving them freely to large cities and small towns alike. Few American cities or towns, fail to have a Carnegie Library. Phoenix Arizona has one, as does tiny Silverton Colorado, population 500. Carnegie loved the sound of pipe organs, and gave away 6,000 of them to various churches, auditoriums and halls. He built New York’s Carnegie Hall, and did grand things with his money.
“Remember, those rich people got that way by discovering or inventing something, being there first with a good idea, or in some way being an excellent entrepreneur. There were no equalizing taxes then, and when those super rich men built their mansions and railroads, they furnished employment. It took skilled craftsmen to build those edifices, and millions of jobs were provided by the super rich, which unfortunately do not exist any longer, thanks to government’s successful leveling of everyone. There are a few left, who are living off of the old man’s legacy, but much of the wealth has been destroyed by government or stupidity of heirs.
“There are many who complain about the so-called “sweat shops” and child labor in early America, but we were still far above any other place in the world. While America was working employee twelve hours a day, in other parts of the world, workers worked fourteen or sixteen hours, and for lower wages. The industrial revolution and unions took care of that, as a natural way for men to invent, and group together for a common cause. Nowhere in the world, have more homes been built and owned, than in America, even a hundred years ago. It was thanks to those pioneers who got filthy rich, but at the same time raised our entire standard of living.
“If the old commodore had hundreds of servants, those servants had good jobs. If the Astors had a huge mansion, it took lots of people to design, build, and maintain it for them. The problem is that we resent other people having more than we do, whereas it is far healthier to admire them, and even wish we had more, but certainly not hate someone else for having more than you. Hatred of those with more, or condemnation of those more successful, is far too common today. Work to improve yourself, and don’t waste your time hating others.
“I look at those fantastic mansions and see photos of those grand life-styles, and am amazed; not full of animosity. I wish we still had those times with us. I’d rather work for a benevolent Carnegie, than for a greedy, Insatiable government, which taxes me into poverty. Those rich tycoons didn’t lower our living standards, but raised them with jobs and prosperity. Government has robbed everyone, virtually destroyed entrepreneurship and continuously lowers our living standard.
So much for that, and 35 years ago it was then and is still true. 35 years ago, socialism was not nearly the threat it is now, and to quote Margaret Thatcher, “The trouble with socialism, is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” Socialism actually started in 1917 In Russia, when the intelligent, wealthy, innovative, inventive, prosperous, job providing, capitalists, were thrown out, jailed, prosecuted, and maligned. As is usual, when nations, states, or even cities became socialistic, such as Cuba, Venezuela, and others, the current New York situation is a classic. “TAX THE RICH.” “FREE BABY SITTING,” “FREE TRANSPORTATION,” “STATE OWNED GROCERY STORES,” and the like, have in just a couple of months proven that it will soon be over, and they’re stuck with their votes. Everything typical of socialism is that government takes the place of private innovation, management, profit, research, rewards for success, and all that goes with freedom. As I have said in previous columns, ‘without profit, nothing can work.’ Government discourages, and has not the remotest idea, of profit.
The socialistic states, such as Colorado (except the western slope), California, Washington, New York, Connecticut, and Oregon, are witnessing massive moving out of the desirables, and going to Texas, Florida, and other non-socialistic states. Florida is begging people not to come, as they are already over-populated with the escapees from socialism.
The rich, have always made themselves and their offspring, surroundings, and even nations and states, healthy and happy with their votes, profits, and life styles. Although the term “Capitalism” may be an unknown word to them, they indeed have practiced it voted for it, and used it for influence where possible. Capitalism unfortunately, doesn’t make sense to the un-intelligent. They fall for and vote for the usual, ‘let government do it,’ free health care,’ ‘free things’ everywhere, and when government pays for it, there are no consequences.
As an aside, Commodore Vanderbilt started in utter poverty, borrowed money to buy a boat, eventually started the New York Central Railroad, and when he died, he was worth $185 million (several trillion today). He left it all to his son William, and when William died in 1885, he had done nothing useful with it, and by 1970, the fortune ceased to exist. The almost exact same thing has happened to the Rockefeller fortune, which has also virtually ceased to exist after heirs did nothing useful with their inheritance. These heirs must have originally started socialism in America, by giving it all away to the undeserving, and doing nothing useful with their inheritance. I guess some brains are not inheritable, or most spoilt brats never heard of capitalism!
-Don Stott don@coloradogold.com