Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-07-13
SYMPATHY FOR THE POOR.

But, in truth, this very fact only illus
trates what we mean. There is a vast
difference between giving our money
and giving our sympathy. II is the lack
of sympathy on the part of the rich that
the want on the part of the
poor, which has to be thus relieved TO
prevent revolution. There is q social
sntagonism created BY wealth and pow
erty. Wealth has poWsr, too often used
iu grinding the faces Of the poor by
insufficient wages, hard contracts, over
bearing conduct, creating quite different
aspirations, not only as to dress and
comforts, but as to education, refine
ment, hopes, morals, religion, and the
possibilities of the future. Wealth set
ties rauk-it controls our churches. Its
effects are becoming every year more
manifest among Us as a power sought
after and coveted. There are plenty
of friends TO the poor, but friends
by condescensiou not seeking to
elevate them and SO lessen the
differences, but rather TO increase it by
a weight Of obligation. 1t is this last
which has given their greatest value to
the munifcent gifts Of George Peabody
and the Christmas stories Of Charles
Dickens. To really elevate the poor
and thus lessen the distinction, is living
Christisnity-the kingdom Of Heaven on
earth. From the camera of the upper
room the New Jerusalem is projected on
the world below. In fact, the only pre-
ventive of the greatest danger of the
present age in the accumulation Of the
worst corruptions Of the Old World in
the New, is such a growth Of Christian
love for alternating the condition of the
poor among the wealthy as shall lessen
this antagonism. 1t would be a narrow
rendering Of those words Of Jesus, that
''the poor have the Gospel preached to
them" to speak to them of religion, but
neglect the rest and leave them to per-
ish here. The physical, social and
moral improvement of the poor is OBJ
~jectire Christianity. Without this SYM
pathy there is nothing.
Frugality is one chief means by which
this may be done. Simplicity in dress,
in equipsge, no, only saves money that
q be better employed, but it sets On
example that saves many who can but
lily afford it the expense Of initiating
costly fashions. Society is benefited in
proportion as all consumption is repro
ductive. In all our wards and villages
curtailments are made in the expenses
of public school houses, in their COM
forts, and often in their necessities for
the health and best advantage Of teach
ers aud scholars, lest the taxes should
be complained of. How many parent
might save enough from costly foreign
articles of dress or furniture, to buy
which is sending gold out ofthe country,
to build a school house or to furnish it
with apparatus!
When Madame de Maintenon tried to
persuade Louis XIV. to give more to
the poor, he replied that kings were
Gods almoners to the poor BY the cost
" Injuries they introduced. But these
selfish ostentations and Injuries are the
most mocking ways of beueftiug the
poor. A French lady at court, not long
since, wore a single scarf, into which
were worked pearls, emeralds and 9TH
er Jewels, till the value amounted to a
million dollars! This formed part OF
the third fortune expended by the same
lady, being purchased by the patrimony
inherited from her grandfather. Had
the same money been devoted to i'm
proving the land or educating the ten
ants, how different the results! But
the same copy of the Times that record
ed all the costly dresses o fthe court at
Queen Victoria's wedding mentioned,
10 a corner, the death Of two persons
10 London of starvation! By men and
Of wealth and rank setting an example
of simplicity the strong bear the in6rm-
tiles Of the weak.
It will, we hope, add to the value Of
these thoughts that they were sub
stantially uttered recently by one Of
the ables. divines and philosophers Of
the present age-Dr. Hedge, under these
circumstances: "The right and left
wings Of the Unitarian body were thrown
into some ferment aud a new organiza-
ton expecting to be formed, led some to
expect, from the known ability Of the
preacher of the annual sermon, a theo-
logical discussion. Instead Of anything
of the kind, the whole current o fthought
was turned to an able and earnest con-
sideration Of the practical requirements
Of religion upon the wealthy to the poor.
Perhaps it should also be noted that
when the constitution of a new associa-
ton was proposed for the scientific
discussion Of religion the venerable
Mrs. Lucretia Mott expressed the great
est disappointment and declined her
name, because, she said, | deny religion
to be a science, and expressed her regret
at SO many organizations and so few
advances in practical religion. There
seems to be q general feeling rising up
among the wisest and bss. of all de!
nominations, that less theorizing and
more practical exhibition of the living
power Of religion, in directing and con-
trolling the uses of wealth, is the great
want Of the present day"
POWERFUL ARGUMENTS. The San
Francisco Examiner has adopted A yery