A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World (Gregory Clark) written by Charles. Clark, Farewell to Alms, The Sixteen Page Economic History of the World, pp. Indeed, it is difficult to set bounds to the share of a rich man's estate which should go at his death to the public through the agency of the state, and by all means such taxes should be graduated, beginning at nothing upon moderate sums to dependents, and increasing rapidly as the amounts swell, until of the millionaire's hoard, as of Shylock's, at least, "The other half This is not wealth, but only competence which it should be the aim of all to acquire. ", Such, in my opinion, is the true Gospel concerning Wealth, obedience to which is destined some day to solve the problem of the Rich and the Poor, and to bring "Peace on earth, among men good will.". lazar: a leper, or any wretched beggar It is desirablethat nations should go much further in this direction. The laws of accumulation will be left free; the laws of distribution free. Such are the very salt of the earth, as valuable as, unfortunately, they are rare; still it is not the exception, but the rule, that men must regard, and, looking at the usual result of enormous sums conferred upon legatees, the thoughtful man must shortly say, "I would as soon leave to my son a curse as the almighty dollar," and admit to himself that it is not the welfare of the children, but family pride, which inspires these enormous legacies. . Objections to the foundations upon which society is based are not in order, because the condition of the race is better with these than it has been with any others which have been tried. All progress from that barbarous day to the present time has resulted from its displacement. The highest life is probably to be reached, not by such imitation of the life of Christ as Count Tolstoi gives us, but, while animated by Christ's spirit, by recognizing the changed conditions of this age, and adopting modes of expressing this spirit suitable to the changed conditions under which we live; still laboring for the good of our fellows, which was the essence of his life and teaching, but laboring in a different manner. In monarchical countries, the estates and the greatest portion of the wealth are left to the first son, that the vanity of the parent may be gratified by the thought that his name and title are to descend to succeeding generations unimpaired. By taxing estates heavily at death the state marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire's unworthy life. We start, then, with a condition of affairs under which the best interests of the race are promoted, but which inevitably gives wealth to the few. When visiting the Sioux, I was led to the wigwam of the chief. Even the poorest can be made to see this, and to agree that great sums gathered by some of their fellow-citizens and spent for public purposes, from which the masses reap the principal benefit, are more valuable to them than if scattered among them through the course of many years in trifling amountsthrough the course of many years. The laborer has now more comforts than the landlord had a few generations ago. It is a condition essential for its successful operation that it should be thus far profitable, and even that, in addition to interest on capital, it should make profit. The essay was first published by Carnegie (Car-neigh-ghee) in the North American Review, the first literary magazine in the United States, in June of 1889. The master and his apprentices worked side by side, the latter living with the master, and therefore subject to the same conditions. PLSC 270 - Lecture 1 - Exploding Worlds and Course Introduction. Thus far, accepting conditions as they exist, the situation can be surveyed and pronounced good. This book is part of the sub-genre that might be titled, if being honest, Why Are All Todays Rich People Europeans, Actually or Honorary? The growing disposition to tax more and more heavily large estates left at death is a cheering indication of the growth of a salutary change in public opinion. rich-ored driftings: metal ore was often discovered by panning in river beds. But whether the change be for good or ill, it is upon us, beyond our power to alter, and therefore to be accepted and made the best of.