Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-04-18
TIE ART OF

marks: ''Thcre are plenty of people
who know how to make money, and
how to waste it, but few who know
how to spend it," The more any one
reflects on this the more he will be con-
WINGED Of the wisdom Of the saying.
1t must be confessed that the
opinion Of the world is Just
the contrary. The belief of most
men might be summed up in the
saying: "Any fool a spend money.
but it takes a shrewd man to make it. -
1t is not often that the general opinion
of men about matters of every day life
is wrong, yet in this case we believe that
it is certainly wrong. A fool can waste
money, he can squander it in dissipa-
ton or let it slip away from him
through sheer incompetence to hold it,
but he can not spend it wisely. 1t
might be maintained that spending a
fortune IS harder than getting it, and
the thesis would have many plausible
arguments to sustain it; but at any rate
this is true, the talent for money-get-
ting and that for money-spending are
separate gifts, net often united in the
same person
Few of the great millionaires have
been successful in spending the fortune
they have acquired. The name of Pea.
body will occur at nee as an instance
OF a man who succeeded in SO spending
his great fortune as to do a vast amount
of good with it-good of a kind that is
continually multiplying itself and add
ing new contributions of its own to the
sum of the worlds happiness. But
what other name shall we place along
side of his? What work of practical
beneficence is associated with the names
of Stewart, Vanderbilt, Gould, Sage,
Field, and the rest? In Europe the case
is no better. The name of Sir Moses
Montehofe is cherished everywhere as
that of a great bcnefactor OF his W
a if not OF humanity at large; but
with what great work of beneticence,
even for their own race, has the name
OF Rothschilds been connectedp
We have mentioned the name of
Stewart among the, rich men of this
country whose name is connected with
no great work for his fellows. But he
at least is entitled to this honor. that he
desired to do something for them, and
really made the efIrt. He began u
pa!atial home for working women, but
so badly was the whole thing planned,
and so ineficiently was the idea carried
out by his executors, that it was a costly
failure. His name greatly strengthens
our thesis that the talent for spending
money is quite distinct from the talent
for getting money. The only one of the
great millionaires of New-York who
mas ever shown any disposition toward
large charitable enterprise failed be-
cause nc had not studied the conditions
OF successful money-spending as he had
studied those Of money-getting.
lhe talent for money-spending is II
that may be cultivated. 1t is the duty
OF a Christian man to cultivate it. II Is
noteworthy that the New Testament has
little to say about the getting ofmoney.
1t is apparently taken for granted that
men will look out for the means of oct.
Ing money without any injunction to do
do so, and that what thew need is in.
stiuctlon IN the art and true principle of
using the money they acquire. In this we
nave another proof of the adaptedness
OF the Scriptures to human needs. The
men OF New-York, and of everv other
place in like manner, are all busy about
plans Tor acquiring money; few Of them
eVer stop to think what thew shall ID
t Wlah It when they have gratified
1neit highest ambition in money!
gcttlng. As a result, when thev
become rich they do not even
snow how to use their money for
their W pleasure, and are OBLIGED in
oraer to save themselves from unen-
durable ennui to 60 on piline up then.
m'lIons when the possession of GREAT
wealth has ceased to be a pleasure in
Itself to them. They are even moro
ignorant OF how to use their money for
sle gooG of their fellows, mol do their
acIlons give us any warrant to sunnose
that Inc desire so to use it has avon
eh1ered their minds. If men devotei
half the thought and skill to tho w;sa
spending OF their fortunes that tbev
10 TO their acGuirement, we SHOULD 10y
see great charitable and educar;onoI
pro ects languishing for lack of thn
means to carry them forward. nor wou vus
sne lew enterprises undertaken bv rioh
t I,Gn 80 often miscarry and prove utter
Inc most generous eiyers to orou,,
onlect that appeals with force :"
Snrlstlan mans heart are the men w WIZ, q
.egan TO consider, when they had ,i Ht1o
70 give, how to give that little 60 tLa .Ne