Frederick Townsend Martin
| Frederick Townsend Martin | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 6 December 1849 Albany, New York |
| Died | 8 March 1914 London, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Alma mater | Albany Law School |
| Relatives | Bradley Martin, brother |
Frederick Townsend Martin (December 6, 1849 – March 8, 1914) was a New York City writer and advocate for the poor.
He was born in Albany, New York on December 6, 1849 to Henry Hull Martin (1809–1886) and Anna Townsend (1815–1866). He graduated from the Albany Law School in 1872 and served as a colonel in the New York National Guard, as judge advocate.
At the time of the election U.S. President Harrison, Mr. Martin offered an imprudently frank perspective. "It matters not one iota what political party is in power or what President holds the reins of office. We are not politicians or public thinkers; we are the rich; we own America; we got it, God knows how, but we intend to keep it if we can by throwing all the tremendous weight of our support, our influence, our money, our political connections, our purchased Senators, our hungry Congressmen, our public-speaking demagogues into the scale against any legislature, any political platform, any presidential campaign that threatens the integrity of our estate."
In 1911 he wrote The Passing of the Idle Rich. He would travel to the Bowery Mission in New York City to visit with the homeless. He hosted an annual Christmas dinner for the homeless on the Lower East Side. Martin's writings often criticized the extravagances of the rich - the very circles in which he traveled - and preached that "...where idleness and extravagance creep in decay begins. Nations as well as individuals have to be reminded of the dangers of these evils and they must be faced."
Martin received a large sum of money on the death of his brother, Bradley Martin.
Martin was a director of the Metropolitan Trust Company and was a member of a number of social clubs, including the Metropolitan Club, Knickerbocker Club, and Aero Club in New York, the Marlborough Club, St James's Club, Bachelors Club, and Wellington Club of London, the Travelers Club, Automobile Club, and Polo Club of Paris, and the Country Club of Puteaux France.
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