The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-04-11

Before the sermon DIR. Talmage read
In Genesis the account Of jacobs burial
Subject of the sermon: Peter Cooper
Text: Second Samuel, 10th chapter
32d verse: NOW Barzellai was very
aged man, even four score years old, and
he had provided the King snstenance
while he lay at Mahanaim, for he was a
very great man."
Barzlllai, Of the text, was a very old
man, very kind man, very affection
ate man, very patriotic man, a very
rich man of the tenth century before
Christ, type of our American philan-
thrOpist Peter Cooper in the nineteenth
century after Christ. When l see Bar
zillai from his wealthy country seat at
ROgelim coming out to meet DaVid's re-
treating army and providing them with
flour and corn and mattresses, 1t makes
me think of the hearty response of our
modern philanthrOpist in time of tTOu-
BILE and disaster, whether municipal, in
diVidual or national. The snow of his
white locks has melted from our sight,
and the benedictiOn Of his genial face
has come to its long amen. But his in
fluence halted not half second for the
Obsequies to finish, but goes right on
without change, save that Of augmeAta-
tiOn, for in the great sum OF useful
life death IS multiplication instead
of subtraction, and the tombstone, in
stead Of being the goal Of the race, ia
only the starting point. What means
this rising up of all good men with hat
off in reverence to one who never WELD
ed a sword or delivered masterly ora
tlOn or stood in Senatorial placer
Neither General, nor Lord, nor Gov
ernOr, nor President. The LII. ID.
which is university bestowed did not
stick to him. The word mister as pre-
fix or the word esquire as suffiX, seem
ed superfiuity. He was to all christ
endOm plain Peter Cooper. Why then
all the flags at half mast, and the resO-
luti0ns of common council, and the Gu
lOgies of Legislature, and the deep sigh
from multitudes who have no adequate
way to express their bereaVementp
First, he was in some respects the ia
thef of American philanthrOpieS. There
have been far larger sums donated to
the public since this man founded Coop
er Institute, but think that hundreds
Of the charities and philanthrOpies were
born of his example. Sometimes ia
ther will have large family of child
rem who grow up to be larger than him
self. When that six stOried temple of
instruction was built on Fourth avenue
and Seventh street by Mr.. Cooper. at an
expense of $630,000, and endowed by
him with $l5O,OOO, you must remember
that 100000 was as much as $500,000
now, and that milliOnaires, who are so
common now, that you hardly stop to
look at them, were a rare spectacle.
stephen Girard and John Jacob AstOr Of
Olden times, would in our day almost
excite the sympathy OF some Of our rail-
road magnates. The nearly $800,000
that built and endowed COODer Institute
were as much as or 100000 now.
But there are institutions in our day
that have cost many more dollars in
building and endowment which have
not accomplished more than fraction
of the good done by this munificence of
1857. This gift brOOded charities all
over the land. This mOthered educa-
tiOnal institutions. This gave glorious
suggestion to many whose large fortune
was hitherto under the iron grip Of self
ishnesS. IL the ancestral line of many
an asylum, or iniirmary, OF college, or
university were traced back far enough,
you would find that Peter Cooper was
the tllustriOus prOgenitor. Who can es-
innate the effect Of such an institution
standing for twenty-six years, saying
to all the millions of people passing up
and down the great thOrOughfares: II
am here to bless and educate, without
money and without price, all the strug-
Cling who come under my Wings" That
from all its windows been crying shame
on miserliness and cupidity. That free
reading room has been the inspiration
for 500 free reading rooms. Great res
erVOir Of American beneficenceT
Again Peter Cooper showed what
wise thing it is for man to be his own
executor. How much better is ante
mOrtem charity than post-mOrtem bene-
hcence. Many people keep all their pro-
perty for themselves till death and then
make good institutions their legatee.
They give up the money only because
they have to. They would take 1t all
with them IL they only had three or
four stout pockets In their shrOud. Bet
ter late than never, but the reward shall
not be as great as the reward of those
who make charitable contribution while
yet they have power to keep their money.
Charity in last will and testament seems
sometimes to be only an attempt to bribe
CharOn che ferryman to land the boat in
celestial rather than Internal regions.
Mean as sin. When they disembark
from the banks of this world, they hope
to be greeted as benefactOrs when they
come up Gthe beach on the other side.
Skinhints when they die. they hope to
have the reception of George Peabody.
Beside that, how often donations by
will and testament fail on their final
destinationl The surrOgate's courts are
filled with legal quarrel. II q philan-
thr0pist has any pride OF intellect and
desires to help Christian institutions he
had better bestOw the gift before death,
for the trouble is, IL he leaves any large
amount to Christian institutions the
courts will be appealed to prove he was
crazy. They will bring witnesses to
show that he has for a long time been
becoming imbecile, and as almost every
one of positive nature has idiosyncracies
these idiOsyncracies will be brought out
on the trial and ventilated and enlarged
and caricatured, and the man who had
mind enough to make million dollars
and heart enough to remember needy in-
stitutiOns will be proved fool. II he
have second wife the children Of the
first wife will charge him with being
unduly influenced. Many q man who,
when, he made his will had more brains
than all his household put together,
has been pronounced DC subject for q
1unatfO aeVlum BE vour oyvn az xaot1fOr