Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-06
THE GREED OF R1cHEs.


Thus spoke the preacher-he who was en-
dowed with greater wisdom than any other
man of his time. The advice of the father
of to-day to his son is, "Get money-hon-
estly if you can; but get money" The de-
sire to accumulate riches is Unborn in most
men. To be able to live in ease, to have
servants, and houses, and lands, and bank
accounts; to be in worldly sense superior
to those about them, is the sole ambition of
the young and the middle-aged of this gen
Grafton, and to crafty that ambition comfort
is sacrificed, the nobler qualities of the heart
are dulled, and often ayarice gains the.
complete mastery, destroying every sense of
honor, honesty and compassion. The widow,
struggling for bare maintenance for herself
and her fatherless little ones, is robbed as
ruthlessly by her grasping landlord as the
wolf robs the fold; the unfortunate debtor
finds the savings of a lifetime swept away at
one sweep because of his inability to meet
the usurious interest of the money-lender;
the prosperous business man is reduced to
penury by the memorable creditor who re-
fuses that clemency to which, perhaps, he is
indebted for his present financial standing.
Nor is this the worst. It frequently happens
that people entrusted with the keeping of
the money or property of others contrive, by
hook or by crook, to gain possession of that
which does not belong to them by right
Sometimes they steal it outright; more fire.
quently by undetermined methods they drive
what are called in the slang of the day "sharp
bargains" and cheat those who trusted them
under the protection of the law. When accused
of unfair dealing they boldly challenge their
accusers to point out case wherein they
have violated the law, and with naughty in
science parade their shame by defying their
victims to seek legal redress. These men
are perhaps more dangerous to society than
those who are openly dishonest; for they are
received with distinguished regard in social
circles and held in high esteem in the
church.
But men are not alone guilty of repre-
hensible greed of gain. The other sex, too.
often sell themselves for wealth and social
position. bargain loathsome
in the sight of God and repulsive in that of
man. How often do we see young woman,
in the fresh bloom of maidenhood. ioin her
self in marriage to dissolute, worn-out
roue, whose only recommendation is his
money. And this is done with the sanction
OF the church, the priest invoking the divine
blessing upon union that is from its first
conception accursed of God and condemned
by man. Friends flock around the wedding
feast, and while inwardly despising the bar
gain and sale consummated before their ewes.
and loathlng the purchaser, though perhaps
plying his purchase, heap benedictions upon
their heads and predict life of happiness
and contentment The victim and her
friends console themselves with the thought
that cit is better to be an old mans darling
than young mans slave.'' Such delusion
has been so often swept away by sad expert
ence that we should think people would learn
wisdom; but SO great is the halo that sur
rounds riches that victims are ever ready to
sacrifice their happiness in the hope that
they will be able to live a life of ease and
shine in society.
The SUNDAY GLOBE desires to enter it's
protest against the inordinate greed of wealth
that is so all-pervading at the present time.
and it desires to enlist the clergy in crusade
through which dishonesty shall be made
odlous. "Better is little with righteous
ness, than great revenues without right.''
The clergy must bring this matter home to
their congregations. They must cease to
taWn upon the rich of their congregations
who have grown SO through extortion, op-
preston and downright dishonesty. They
must refuse to become particeps crlnaina in
the crimes of these men, remembering that
the receiver is as bad as the thief. Because
member of their church is rich they must
not hesitate to denounce in fitting terms the
means through which he has accumulated
his money. He must be given to understand
that sharp practice is but polite name for
downright robbery, and is odious in the
sight of heaven besides being offensive to
of religion. They r.ust cease to
give their sanction to ill-assorted marriages,
which are no less prostitution than the open
debauchery of low life. The clergy must
have more holiness in denouncing crime
and unrighteousness wherever found. When
they fail to do SO they disgrace their high
calling and degrade the cause of religion
among the masses. They must more strictly
obey the divine command in this respect,
and then they can consistently ask others to
join them in laboring for the advancement of
other branches of religion, but until they
can summon up courage enough to condemn
rich man for his evil deeds, their denuncia-
tons of sin among the masses will fall upon
idlerears. Example is far more potent than
precept.
HODGSON,S RETIREMENT.
Mr.. Hodgson has resigned his position as
a member of the committee appointed by
the ST Pon1 Gho roI,o IS ~