The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1883-04-21
PETER COOPER'S MONUMENT.

PETER COOrER'S MONUMENT. .
\ Capitalist who was His own Exc
| cutOr.
"The Barzillai of my text was a
very old man, a very kind man,
a very affectionate man, very
patriotic man, and very wealthy
man, said DR.. Talmage, yesterday
morning. "The man of the nineteenth
century before Christ is suggestive of
our modern philanthropist, Peter
Cooper of the nineteenth century after
Christ. The snow of his white locks
has melted from our sight the bene-
diction Of his cheerful face has gone to
its long home, but his influence moves
right on. He was no king or lord.
His title of LID. d. did not stick to
him minute. For all christendom
he has been, and for all ages he will be
plain Peter Cooper. Why all these
flags at half mast ? Why these COM
plimentary resolutions First, Peter
Cooper was the father of American
philanthropists. His munifcent gift
of 1857 was the example which others
have followed. Cooper Institute is the
great reservoir of American benevo.
lence.
awe may learn from Mr.. Cooper's
example that it is wise for man to
become his own executor. Many a
man has left money by his will to be-
nevolent objects, who, if he had
pockets in his shroud, would have
taken his wealth with him. Such a
gift is an attempt to bribe the ferry
man of the river Styx to land a man in
| the celestial instead Of the Internal re-
gions. The living skintlint is willing
to be hailed when he reaches the other
shore as George Peabody.
"There is another advantage in dis
posing of your money while you live,
and that is that when you are dead
your relatives will not 60 into the Sur.
| rogate's Court and prove that you were
lunatic; Or. if you have been married
a second time, your wife will not be
charged with undue influence. Be
your own executor, like Peter Cooper.
"There is great excitement in the
chase, but there is one kind of chase
that is yet more exciting, and that is
the chase for the last dollar. Away,
away! Hotter, hotter is the chase
after another dollar. The old man
with his other dollars is urging on the
hounds. The dollar is a little way
ahead, and the old man, with painting
breath and shrivelled arm, clutches for
that other dollar just as it rolls out of
his grasp. Missing it, he still pursues
and still pursucs, until the dollar plum
ges into hole. Still the old man pur-
sues. Deeper down, deeper in the dirt
he digs and claws, until, as he clutches
that last dollar, the embankment caves
in and buries him in his grave, and,
like clap of thunder in a clear sky,
sounds the warning. sWhat shall it
profit a man if he shall gain the whole
world and lose his own soul:
"Pctcr Cooper's life warns us that the
best way to settle the quarrels between
labor and capital is Peter Cooper's
way. There are two ways in which
the quarrel can be settled. One is by
the violent subjugation of the laboring
classes. The other is the martyrdom
of rich people. This is fast getting to
be an age of dynamite. Dynamite in
the Kremlin, dynamite in the Parlia-
ment, dynamite in Ireland, dynamite
in England, dynamite in Germany,
dynamite in Russia, dynamite in
America. The remedy for all this
is Peter Cooperism. There was
no dynamite under Cooper In
stitute. Nobody thought of putting
dynamite under Peter Cooper's house.
Nobody envied him his carriage.
When opulent men of all lands shall
stretch out to the laboring classes and
suffering classes a generous hand like
that Of Peter Cooper, it will terminate
the age of dynamite. May the spirit
of Peter Cooper come down upon our
bank stock, upon Government securi-
ties, upon railroad companies, upon
the business men of America.
"Petcr Cooper has also impressed us
| with a new style of monumental and
| epitaphal commemoration. Cooper
| Institute is his monument in prefer
ence to catafalque or mausoleum. Long
after Sir Walter Scott's Old Morality
shall have worn out his chisel in re-
| viving the Inscriptions on old tomb
stones, the name of this man who help
ed Others will be fadeless in mems
memories He built his monument
in the encouragement of philanthropy.
The liberal hand is closed; the beam.
ing eye is shut; the world-encompass-
ing heart is still. When he was at
my house I felt that was entertain
ing king. But the king is dead.
The largest volume of human life, we
see, has its last chapter, its last page,
its last word What ara ninety twn