Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-15

cities; now whole industries harvests and 1 railroads are the counters fn thegame which c sometimes 1egfsIatofs seem to be the not nn- interested speetators IL would be beyond my province and my understanding to dis cuss the ominous social and political ques- tions which the growth of monopolies and theHo relations of gigantic systems of sz9 private enterprises ike our railway lines between the oceans, are have noticed, however, that those who have studied most deeply, and grasped most con1-a urehensfveIy any social or political problem, are usually the least forward in pressing for remedies through some new prohibitions of legislation, and are inclined to find in the natural action and reactions Of the forcss of society, and in tae gradual processes of moral development, their hope for the remedy of evils which at times seem to be stronger than our laws and beyond our power of reform. But whatever legislation may, or may not. be necessary, there is one point of light in these questions and discussions upon which it is the proper province and one of the duties of the pulpit to keep the popular eye fixed; and that is this: Capital and labor can hold right
 and prosperous relations only when both. are honest; and the intimate solution of ali so- cial problems is an honest God fearing com
 munity. Nothing short of that is or can be
 a stable condition of society. gAnd this Hlti-
 
 omy is in point in g discourse from the life of
 MT. Farnam. Capital trusted in his hand
 did no wrong to any man, but achieved good
 for all classes when it entered on the first locomotive the city of Chicago, and passed
 on to touch the bank of the Mississippi
 Labor had it's rights, and was helped to help
 itself in honest work, when an honest man,
 who loved his fellow men, paid it's wages.
 And after all our discussions and projects of
 reform, shall we not have to come back to
 the simple truism at the basis of
 any lasting social and political prosperity, viz, the first necessity of true, honest, and God-fearing men2 There was not only
 seeing ststesmanship, in the building of school houses and churches along the advanc- ing railroad by Q timely aid whose extent probably only the giVer ever knew, much of which in the after years he himself had prob ably forgotten. For MT. Farnam, Il must say it, had forgotten in his life moro acts of be-
 neVolence than many richer men than he ever
 could have remembered. Such civilization, intelligent and Christian as that which he planted and fostered along his railroad lines, shall yet prove, if we succeed in advancing it. the peaceful solution of those grave prob lerns which are growing with the greatness of the national development whose beginnings MT. Farnam saw.
 l.-I I turn now to another phase of Mir. Farnam' s
 life from which as pastor may thankfully
 take text. The mere quantity of man's charity does not of itself render Hberality g praiseWorthy virtue Christian charity is g
 quality as we'll as quantity. The later Roman
 organism knew how under certain circum-
 stances to laVish gifts. The monumental in scriptions of the Romans record the names of men who had erected public baths, given
 games and bestowed lRrgesses of corn and
 wine. But Pagan Iiberality never learned the
 real spirit of Christian charity. Large be-
 quests have sometimes in our day been given
 in anything hut the true spirit and under
 the higher law of Christian charity.
 Mr. Farnam's bsnevolence, can most truth
 fully say, was not merely virtue of quantity,
 butsalso of quality. Indeed there were some
 characteristics in his manner of giving which
 for our sakes should be commended One of
 these happy features of his benevolence vas
 the timeliness of his gifts. He believed in
 the self-multiplyIng power of the help given
 at just the right time. This belief, however, did not render him tRrdy with his ben efae- tions as one waiting for the last moment with reluctant gift; but rather it made him watch ful for opportunities of good. And when found, as they were wherever he went,
 he was quick in meeting them. Two
 instances of many must give, which show, also, that a man willing and ready to meet
 the providentiaI opportunities of his life will
 not confine his iberality to single worn channel, or to his own church or neighbor-
 hood. While travelling abroad, as I happen
 to have learned, he stopped in Beyrout, and attended upon the Sabbath the exercises of
 one of those girls schools which are the adornment of our Christian missions in the
 East. He saw the possibilities for larger usefulness, and he took the need for granted Stopping our missionary, Dr. Thompson, at the close of the service, he asked him, although | it was Sunday. to help him in little matter of business. 1.-The doctor hesitated somewhat, aSt,1 -E0Sl l to aid in collecting the draft of stranger. | Mr. Farnam quietly handed him his check for the benefit of the school, which, when | Dr. Thompson fairly took it in, caused him | then and there to fall upon his knees upon l the floor and thank God for the help for l which with anxious hearts they had been praying and which proved to be just the helI l in time of need to save the school. To an other instance of the same habit of seeing and acting at once upon the needed oppor- | tunity, an instance of generosity nearer 1 home, let me refer.
 l I should state that the letters to which ] now shall allude have been furnished me al l my own request by gentlemen not in any way connected personally with MT. Farnam
 and assume the responsibility of making 1 this public reference to them. When in 1 1869 East Divinity hall of the Yale seminary 1 was in process of erection, Mr. Farnam, with out word of solicitation having been ad- dressed to him, sent his check for five thou
 sand dollars to be applied to that department
 of the college in the new build l ing or in any way it's faculty might 1 deem best He drew bis check, i so he wrote, just before leaving for the West 'sin case any accident should befall me-" but i he left directions not to have it delivered until after the commencement week should be over, as he wished to prevent it's getting l into the newspapers. And now, so he con a1ndal k6o 1okkoV nxfneY fk have
 only one more request to make, and that is
 that it be kept out of the newspapers" | trust do his memory no wrong in breaking after his death this seal of silence which he put upon 8 gooddeed done. Again in the year 1881, learning that an effort was to be
 made to increase the endowment of the theo- logical department of the college, without any
 direct solicitation he wrote that the friends of that institution could rely upon him for ten thousand dollars for that purpose, an amount which, he said. he would hand them in few days in cash or it's equivalent. What the equivalent in cash for that gift was
 in Mir. Farnam,s estimation may be judged
 from the fact that when the few days had
 elapsed his promise stood redeemed in ten
 bonds bearing seven per cent. interest and
 worth at the timein the market 15 cents above
 par. Ispeak of these instances rather than
 of some of his well-known and larger gifts to
 Yale college because they illustrate his habit
 or looking for the alo a6 gwen time moss
 needing to be rendered and his promptness in doing what he thought was for him to do.
 When Mir. Farnam expected to be absent for
 any length of time from his place in this sanctuary, he would make out beforehand and leave for collection his checks for the
 several contributions which he knew would
 be taken in his absence. So the servant ran
 to meet the Lords will. ss, zg z Z
 But have not touched upon that which seemed to me to be the best thing in MT. Farnam's manner of benevolence. I think all of you recognized an appropriateness to him in the words chosen for my text in his memory; words certainly those who knew him we'll would he willing to leave writ
 ten as his epitAph until the Lord Ohrist's judgment day, ''It is more blessed to give than to receive.'' He had learned early in life, and when he had but little to bestow, the happiness of giving. He did not lose that joy as his fortune grew. Riches are pow erty, indeed, if when they come the hearts truest instincts and simplest pleasures take
 wings and fly away. MT. Farnam was one of those benefactors of their kind who cared lit- tie for money as mo ney. He loved all true and happy and friendly uses for his money.
 His heart went with his gifts. And so his
 was the happiness of giving. We sometimes
 say to ourselves how much, if we had the