Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1882-12-19
Making Haste to be Rich.

gyman, beloved by his church and
respected by the community, re.
signed his pas,orate and entered on
secular employment. The cause as,
signed was ill.health, caused by
long continued over.work. Proba,
bly, the reason WAS genuine, per,
haps it was Sufficient, hut another
that WAS carefully concealed has
since TRANSFERRED. In an evil hour
he was pei suaded to take flyer
in Wall street, and soon he engaged
quite extensively in stock specula.
tons. Asa result he became so Sc.
rionsly involved that he was obliged
to resign his pastorate and accept
an offer OF Il large salary in business.
in order to repair his shattered for
tunes and keep him from bringing
open shame on his sacred office.
The story has been published many
times within the past few weeks,
with circumsianiial marks of truth
and the fact that it still goes Hncon
tradicted makes it all but certain
that no contradiction is possible.
The case is a very sad one, nll the
more SO that ii furnishes sharp
point for Snccr at Christian NOR
ality by those who are always OF
the lookout for ministerial dclln.
qucncies. Could n more impressive
warning be given against the undue
haste to get rich that is 81 rife 1T
society To day When one looks
about and sees what privilege and
power wealth cunirrS. it is not sur.
p!iSing that all men desire it. But
i'll Il country like ours almost any
man can become rich if he will pay
the price. The price is honesty, IN
dustry, economy, persistence; aud
the practice of those fonr Nirines
means competence to every body
aud wealth TO a large number. But
the young man of to day is not vii.
ling TO pay the price. He must
needs eat his cake and keep it, too.
Wants to get rich without Industry
and economy, he wants to find some
short cut to wcal,h. He hears of
fortunes made in a day, and Why
shuuld hr not bc one ui ihr lucky
ONES: He wishes 10 accnmnln'e-
and yet tie scIttcrs with was etnI
hand " hat he HOW has, in the hope
that somehow he will have more to.
morrow. 10 IA man in this state Of
mind comes Il great temptation III
the form of what seems To be a
chance Ia make II fortune at a blow
His power to resist is undermined
in advance. and his fall is inevitable.
! For OF course the chance is an emp
t. one. and fortunate. indeed, is the
man who comes out of he ordeal with
no loss but that Of money. In too
many cases integrity, honor, family
! happiness and all chance of future
usefulness are swallowed mp.
The desire for wealth is in itself
commcudah'c. Like any other pas
sion it may become inordinatc. aud
ruin life ami character but within
due linits it is worthy of praise
not blame. To it is due all of the
complex and vast activities o
modern life, through which toilinl
millions earn their daily bread
The seeker after wealth is public
benefactor indirectly, by providin:
honest employment for multitudes
and no often uses his accumulation
directly for the public good. Bn
, this is TO be distinguished from tn
desire to get rich quickly, the eiior
to steal march on the laws of God
and do in II day what He has or
dained shall be done in a lifetime
This is the fruitful canse of wide
spread decentralization, Of shameful
crime, OF wreck of character. Tn
element of time is inseparabIe frou