The Indianapolis journal., 1891-02-20
TALK ON MONEY AND MORALS
Mr. Watterson Gives His Views of These
Essentials of a Nations Prosperity.
Ambition of Clay and Webster-Strength of
the Little Swiss Republic Lies in Its Fru-
gality-Reception to the Lecturer


At the Grand Opera-house, last night,
Hon. Henry Watterson, editor of tie LOUIS
vile Courier-Journal. delivered his lecture.
Money and Morals" /" to an audience meager
In numbers, but one that gave him the
closest attention. The speaker was intro
duced by Mr.. Samuel E. Morss, of the Sem
tinel. Last winter said Mr.. Watterson,
AS Was about starting out on round of
lecture engagements 1 received letter
from an old friend asking if it was true, as
stated in the newspapers. that was going
20 talk about money and morals, adding.
regretfully. that as he had very little of
either, he would come to hear me. There
Is scarcely question. public or private,
that has not two sides TO it. As . rule we
are nearest to be in the wrong when we are
most positive and emphatic. A wit once
remarked. as illustrating this, Il wish l
could be as sure of anything as Tom Ma
caulay Is OF everything Take the map OF
North America and fix 1t in your minds
eye. Behold what an empirel Caesar never
looked upon the like: Napoleon, in his
Widest , dreams conceived nothing so
magnihcent and vast. What wealth
Is here to elevate. to inspire the
neart, TO make Us proud of our country.
nat historic memories crowd every foot
OF the way OF the past. The progress of
THIS race mas revolutiOnized the new world
and put the old to blush. Is there anything
20 mar tpe prospect. to darken the scene
and dim the lightf Anything to como
across the great highway of the progress of
our 4 alton and obstruct the march to tri-
uEiph and to gloryfs think there is.
what great thing it is to have plenty
of money. Yet there are men possessed of
sl0,OO0 who cut very sorry figure by the
@ slde OF men possessed of 500, ,0OO. 600 or $780,,
come and sl5O. 900 of wants is worse off than
tRe man who has nothing and wants his
dinner. These things appear to be rela-
tive after all. There are men living in the
great money centers who contrive, by dint
scanty livelihood on $4,000 year. These
men cannot imagine how it is possible for
any man to live for less than S25, 600 year
But money is full of illusions
about whieh Gns ali o.hsr 'hs facts pl19. 70.
volye. Whether we accept the teachings
OF the New Testament or not. no man can
afford to disregard it or leave it out of his
calculations. 1t is the one thing in uni
and reviled. / should not like to think
that the possession of money is a positive
bar 20 salvation. Yet it is undoubtedly
true that the possession of money will
harden and corrupt ten times to the one
q good fellow have known turned into a
bad fellow by the possession of money; how
few cases where the possession of wealth
has enlarged the mind aud amplified the
SOUL"
Mr.. Watterson went ON TO speak of the
ambitions of men which, when they come
TO be gratitied. were as Dead sea apples,
turning TO ashes on their lips. Il heard"
ne continued, "a President of the United
States say that he was candidate for
twenty years, aud at last when he had got
the office il had no longer any power to
inspire his ambition. He said: L was
elected. and here / am an old man,
~ p oy OF sars sarb d osn tSOs CLAW with sha Wss
ster deplored having entered public life;
each had fixed his eye upon one object
the White House-aDd failing in that eacn
had become broken and detected man;
cheated him out of something which he had
brought himself to believe beloD ged to him.
George ID. Prentice told me that if Clay had
been elected President he would have been
the wretchedest man that ever lived. He
had been an aspirant for thirty years; he
was an lmpnlsive man with the genius of
making friends, and had plastered the pub
lic service over three-ply deep with prom
lses. He was sincere, proud and sensitive
man, and when these promises came to
maturity. aud were presented for payment.
they would have embittered his life and
broken his heart. i believe sclf-repression
In this direction is true wisdom; that the
ae1loW .rd wso very much in love WITH the
ter leave her and get somebody else. When
woman marrles q man to get rid of him
he had best look to it.
The danger to this country comes in the
to argue that the poorest are the happiest,
but neither are the richest. 1t happens,
however, that the poorest nation of people
on this earth is undoubtedly the happiest.
mean the Swiss nation. In Switzerland
we lind the ideal Jeffersonisn democracy.
The officials are frugal to the highest de-
gree. The President of the little republic
receives only 81 600 year. The elections
are held liz the churches and on Sunday.
Ballot-box-stuffing IL wholly unknown. The
greatest Of modern Swiss statesmen, sew
eral times elected President of the repub-
lic, died few years ago in the city of
Berne. 1t was necessary for him to procure
medicine, and after his death 1t was found
that In order to do so he had been forced
TO pawn service of plate that had been
presented him by the United States for his
services in the Geneva award. remember
only another such case-that Irishman who
represented kiimeny, whom England could
not buy and who was found dead in bed
with but shilling on the mantel and
scrap OF paper on which was written, Ire
land forever and farewell to Kilmenyn
In conclusion Mr. WattersOn said that this
country possessed great h0m0geneity and
the people were coming nearer together.
He said he would lure the great republic of
the modern world from the perils that en-
gulfed old Rome and plant it firmly on the
foundations of morality and manhood, the
only sure foundations of nations worth.
Mr.. Watterson at the Press Club.
Very seldom has q more distinguished
group of people been brought together in
Indianapolis than assembled at the Press
Club rooms yesterday afternoon to meet
Hon. Henry Watterson. the editor of the
Louisville Courier Journal. The reception
was purely informal. with no attempt at
entertainment other than that furnished
by good conversation. Among the guests
were Gen. Lew Wallace, Governor Hovey,
Ex-Governor Gray, James Whitcomb Riley.
Mrs. Seguin- w allace, Judge Niblack, Oliver
L. Morton. Hon. John Caven and President
Tanner. of the Board of Trade. An hour or
more was passed very delightfully."-, and the
reception proved distinct social success.
The next reception of the club will be
given Thursday afternoon. next. from TO
5 o'clock. in honor of Robert j. Burdette,
James Whitcomb Riley. Mrs. Seguin- w al
lace and Miss Leathers. Though informal
it will be a somew hat more elaborate affair
than that of yesterday. The public is in