The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-26
The Greed of Gold.

1t is time when defalcation follows
| defalcation, says the Christian Weekiv,
when business circles, social circles, and
| even church circles are uneasy with the
inquiry, "Who will 60 .nextg" There ia
| @ consciousness that forces of dsester un-
derrun society, and no one can tell where
| the earthquake viii! strike Up Tomorrow.
1t is under this building, bringing it
down to-day. Amid the dust Of the fall
ing ruins we cry, (Which building
next2"
There is reason for all this. It is no
blind force ut work. It is no evil crea-
ture with eyes put out that goes striking
wildly here and there. 1t is not like the
earthquake, a movement of forces that
science does not to-day fully understand.
No; it is someting Ineligible, aud some-
thing intelligent also. Under the misap-
preparation of trust funds, the forging of
notes, the manipulating Of accounts, the
various and protean manifestations of the
fraud principle, is mans greed of gold.
Men crave money. Gold gives power.
The old Macedonian king understood
this who claimed that he could take any
city in spite of its strong walls, provided
he could find crack big enough to send
in au ass laden with gold. Money will
control emergencies, because controlling
resources. Money will surround one
with houses, factories, stores, ships,
forests, aud initiate him with that very
comfortable, self-sa;isfied feeling of pos
session Of power. Gold gives place in
society. The man whose elegant parlors
are crowded, whose dinner-parties arc
throngcd, the turn of whose carriage.
wheels in Central Park, like the wave of
n wand, would bring q bow from all the
other fashions there on wheels-he uu-
derstands all this.
Gold gives influence in politics. 1t
was true before and has been true ever
since the days of Themistocles, who in
an emergency is recorded as having ac-
complished 'by money what he had
failed to do by argument" The man
who died lately in Ludlow street iail,
Ling in the shadow of great disgrace,
knew as well as any one what money
could do among men.
In every direction men are drawn to-
wards the round golden coin that shines
as o sun and compels as a sun. There
fore men cTavo money. Hence this
greed of gold, sharp, exacting, merciless.
never satisfied. And it brings it's owa
punishment. It is fire that rages, that,
ns it rnges hnrna awny ell the nice dis.
tinctions between right and wrong, be-
tween what is ours and what is our
neighbours. The will goes in this greed
| and conscience clso. Hence the eva.
sions and cheat nd prevarications and
twists and turrs, .he open shame as well
as the secret ml5management.
Let man watch forsthis greed. II
grows like drunkard's appetite. II
! gathers power like an avalanche. II
sweeps all before it like food. Arista.
goras, the Milesian, attempted to bribe
Cleomenes, the Spartan king, into com.
pliance with q certain project. Gorgo
the little daughter OF Cleomeues, CHANGED
to be present, and called out, .'Fiy
father, or this stranger will corrupt YOU
1t is good motto for all. Fly, business
mau, mechanic, farmer, fly from thi
danger, the greed of gold. Christian
especially, fly. Here is one of Chris
tian's finest opportunities. L.st hin
show that the religion of Ch-:s. Is F;
power stronger than the worlds strong.
est, gold. Let him ahcw the. the fear Q
God and the love Of our neighbor ar,
mightier forces than that of the dollar
| We must live above this greed of gold
| There is need Of action. Here Is 9
cancer eating out our national strength
II is vortex raging near the very walls
| OF the church, and would suck them il
if it could. 1t is the hell whose shadows
are shrouding to-day many of the fairesi
individual hopes.