Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-31
THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED.

Wherefore doth the way of the wicked
prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that
deal very treacherously? kill.
THE weeping prophet occasionally
viewed his surroundings through dis
torted glasses, but in this inquiry he has
expressed the thought of thousands OF
pious men in all ages of the world. 1t
is as true now as it was in the days of
jeremiah, that all the enterprises OF the
wicked seem to prosper while those of
the pious fail. Vice receives the reward
of wealth, luxury and ease, while virtue
has the lot Of poverty, labor and prlva-
ton. Those who enjoy the benefit OF
riches are usually those whose methods
of life are far from commendable. Gam
blers, saloon keepers, prostitutes, usur-
ers and extortioners never seem to want
for any of the creature comforts. They
drive elegant equipages, dine sumptuous-
" on the best the market affords, and
live in luxurious apartments. They
wear costly jewelry and fashionable cloth
ing, and carry their heads far above
those who are far better than they. Ii
an honest man goes into business he is
compelled to compete with his neighbors
who may sell by false weights or meas
ures, or supply inferior goods as the best.
lIf they attain a competence it is only
after long years of toll, when old age has
crept upon them and the capacity for en-
joying their abundance has passed. Dur
ing their career they have seen scores of
men who did not scruple to use ques-
tionable methods of dealing spring into
affluence in the course of few years
while yet comparatively youthful. The
mechanic who industriously tolls day
after day finds himself in no better con-
dition when the year closes than when
it began, while he is roughly jostled as
he returns to his home after hard days
work by a lot of sports on every cor
ner. The seamstress or saleswoman, as
she repairs to her modest home weary
and worn, sees what we have become ac-
customed to calling her erring sisters
flash by in a gaudy coach, dressed in the
finest raiment and making the air re-
sound with their merry laughter
1t has been said by scores of writers
that people who attain luxury by de-
vious means are never happy. Appear
ances teach different lesson, however.
If they are not happy, their jolly faces
belle them. jeremiah was nearer right
than wrong in his conclusion. David,
who never knew what poverty Or sor-
row meant, said: II have been young,
and now l am old, yet have l not seen
the righteous forsaken, and his seed beg
ging bread" David must have had an
exceptional experience, for it is within
the remembrance of every man of ma
ture years that those who are most pious
are the most in want of the comforts of
life Many of them, laboring early and
late, find it impossible to procure the
necessaries of life for themselves and
their families, while those who deliber
ately set about to defraud their neigh
bors or pander to their lusts and appe-
tites, have all that heart can desire.
There is not much encouragement in
this state of facts for men to lead up
right lives. People do not willingly
chose poverty rather than riches, and it
often requires severe struggle with
conscience to resist the temptation to
wrong doing which gives promise of
gain. AS long as wealth is worshipped
as it is in these days, vice will continue
to flourish and virtue and honest en-
deavor be at discount. These thoughts
and facts are worthy of the thoughtful
consideration of the churches, which
are not altogether blameless in bringing
about and maintaining this state of
affairs.