Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-04-20
Success THAT DOES NOT PAY.
4 Lesson Drawn From the Life and
Experiences Of Jacob Sharp.

Two years ago Mr.. Jacob Sharp,
whose death has given occasion for
50 many moral reflections, appeared
TO have attained the great object OF
his life He had reached the age Of
threescore years and ten, and from
his own point Of view he had been
successful. He had amassed large
wealth and he had carried out Il
profitable enterprise upon which his
heart had been set for many years,
and no doubt he was ready to settle
down and pass the remnant of his
davs I'm such ease and comfort as he
was capable of, and to contemplate
with satisfaction the success which
be had achieved There is no
reason to suppose that he would
have been troubled with remcrse
for the methods he had used, if he
had been left in peace to enjoy the
fruits of his labors; and however
much he may have suffered in the
esteem of bis fellow-men, he would
have regarded their opinions OF
his life and character with COM
posurc. if indeed he did not fail
entirely to comprehend them.
When his way of life had fallen into
the sere, the yellow leaf,
That which should accompany old age,
As honor. love, obedience, troops of
friends
ne could not look to have, but it Is
doubtful if he would have greatly
missed them.
with man constituted rs Jacob
sharp was, apparently with
out scruple or moral
semsibility, experience and con-
science brought no sufficient
penalty for life devoted to material
success regardless Of the means by
which il was attained I'm the eyes
of nobler natures it was a success
that did not pay and there was
nothing in it 10 excite emulation,
but the retribution due to it must
come from some other source than
his own sensibilities. Success al
tanned 10y injquitous methods Is an
ofiGnse against society, which a
sound condition Of
society would prevent and which it
is liable at any time to ayengc.
Though Sharp was permitted to run
his course until success seemed to be
attained, the Nemesis whose pursuit
he had provoked; overlook him at
last His misdOings were exposed,
the lcadcn foot of justice was set in
motion and its iron hand was put
upon him. He escaped the tclon's
cell, rescued, perhaps, 10y death
itself, but he did not escape the
felon's ignominy. His last days O.
broken health and shattered ncul-
ties were cmbittcrcd ana made
wrctched 10y exposure to scum and
long struggle with the uvcuging
law, and his life went out without
awakening those natural regrets, or
even invoking that mercitul silence,
which mortality ordinarily claims.
The lesson was one that could not
hc ignored. The success of life
time, 50 won, 81 deprived of enjoy
ment, was not worth its cost. Even
20 those ot u callous nature it must
bc apparent that it did not pay.
There have been other successes
within the memory of those still
young which convey much the
same lesson, The case otTweed and
his associates is ever freshly rcmem-
hcrcd. An apathetic state of publ
sentiment and of moral sense in ~,
community permitted them To ac-
quirc wealth and power 10y corrupt
and unscrupulouS means, but in the
midst of success that seemed int
pcgnahlc and was defiant, exposure
came and the fabric of wealth ards
power fell In ruins, and thcuames of
its builders wcrc covered with
shame, Tweed died iu prison, some
of hi, associates lived i'm ignumin-
ious exile and the corrupt Judges
who upheld his power were stripped
of their rrmmc, and their names are
a hNwurd aud "a kissing among men.
SucvSs m public life Toy niquitous
methods may for a time bc dazzling,
hut iI do,> not lUy, Even though
il c>capc the penalties which law
ought to cufopv, il Is surt to end i'm
disgu,cc and contempt New York
Times
>ooihc, and Heals