New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-14

Tho impending cont'~f otor the Favor
weather Will serves 90 ompha~.H' Nr. Carnegie
algumcut IN favor ~ personal administration
OF wealth. The munlhc'ut Requests T." col
Ice., alc impcullcd ty these legal proceed
iuc> which may result DO th" inya,idauon 81
the WILL \ bonolocn' purpose which might
ca,!l, have been carried into cGoc' during thc
lifetime Of the unprcjcuiiou, and industrious
mc-,han, NAV now ho thvartod hy the postum
mon, disposition of The estate. II Is tru" that
Mr.. Fayer,ca.hcr dI~caim~ any desire {" IN
,crfcr. with the execution Of the LcqU".t> {"
the colleges. but If her counsel succeed IN set
tin, aside the viii. the estate viii belong 70 ~"
heirs. and Il th"y choo-" to pay ID" SPECIAL
lcgacicS the bounty i'm that cas" viii he theirs,
and n"t that 90 tho to~iat"r. mat j. 10 say,
the virtue of The lcuciaclIOn Will be Trans
lcrrcd from hlm 20 them
4 j., pcrhlp, commondahlc for rich man
10 distribute his wealth among deserving in
,iItuiiou, and charities when he di'>. but II j.
a nobicr and more sensible course for him t"
administer his surplu, riches personally while
he i, Vet alive. II is nohlcr. because self
sacrifice j. involved and responsibility Is &c
ccptcd. When the newspapers contain an ac-
count Of "A grncrou, and even piodigal di>'rlbu-
ton hy viii OF a vast c>tai" for worthy oh
icc> tine readers first Impu,," Is Ia honor I'm"
tr,tator rs an unscliish and maguanlmOuN bcnc-
| factor Then the softer second Thought comes
IN - moderate and dilute the praise. Is there
/ 80 much ,Irtuc lI'cr ali IN rich mans diyid-
ing among college,, and charities what he can
not take with him into the glaNc? Mr.. Glad
Stone support, Mr.. Carn"girs view that there
can be- very Ittlo "Wha' j. Wrcsicd from
mo" be remarks, "hy the srrc of death |
can in no sense be SAID to give; and he pro-
| coed, t. Justify his conclusion 10y reasoning
that nothing can be given which is not also
taken away from the eivcr. but nothing is
taken by the rich man, bcquc>t, since it is
already gone 80 far a, hc is concerned when he
is dead. This is severe doctrine, which
patrons Of colleges. churches and established
charilic, may hc inclined 10 di~countcrance
from selfish considerations; but it has n least
the mcri, OF being logical. Mr. Gladstone,
idea is that Che man vino dies after a bciatcd
effort to dispose by will of >urpIu, wealth
thai he has neglected 70 administer personally
for the welfare Of others may do much good :
but Tnat lac has no u,lc to animation.
Then there j. tic practical side of these
posthumous bounticS. How many time, every
year are wills providing for the endowment OF
colleges. charities and churchc, thrown into
the courts to be contested, compromised on
bioken? How often does it happen that tru,.
tee, chai gcd with the responsibility OF carry
ng out crude and ill-digc>tcd scheme, of
bcnevocncc find il impsaCticabc 10 admiuistc,
their du'ic, with satisfactory results. The
distribution of wealth by lcqucst and with fine
assistance Of trustee. j, attended With 50 many
difficulties and dangers that ii has ceased "a
be- % marvel that thousands of rich men are
content 80 hand over thci, estates to- their chill
drcn without seeking 20 obtain "A posthumous
reputation ior bcncvolcncc. Mr.. Cariiccic',
gospel of wealth appeals to the practical in
>tnc'S of a cOmmon-scnse age. 1t invests tho
rich man with a sense Of personal. rcSpOnsi
bi,ity for the disposition Of his fortune. i,
constitutes him the sole trustee ~ his wealth
1t enjoins upon him the obligation Of admins