The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-07-24

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not discovered that even under the old
Covenant the work OF the Hebrew proph-
was one long fervid protest against
and cruelty, injustice and OPP
preston, and that their visions OF q
glorious future were only secondary to
their work for their brethreni in the press
ent. ~"ForasmIch therefore" says Amos,
Gas your treading is upon the poor and
We take from HIM burdens OF wheat; ye
have built houses OF hewn stone, but ye
shall not dwell in them; We have planted
pleasant vineyards, bnt ye shall not
drink wine OF them. For ! know Your
manifold transgressions and your mighty
sins: they at1lct the just, they take a
bride, they turn aside the poor in the
gate from their right Woe unto
them" SAYS Isaiah, ''that join house to
house, that lay field to field, till there
be no place, that they may be placed
alone in the midst OF the eartil.' Is
there not a standard such as that OF
these old prophets wanted in the world
which the Christian Church ought to he
upholding?
Turning now to our duty rs individ-
uals, l will point out as briefly as posi-
Bile some ways in which we can do some
thing toward helping the solution OF the
great problem OF our time. We can de-
vote time and earnest thought to the
study OF it; we can use our best endeav-
ors to ascertain the causes OF social in
equality, OF the distress that dogs the
steps OF material progress, OF trade de-
preston and want of work; and strive
to form some rational opinion as to
what legislative or other changes are
likely to bring about. the gradual re-
moval Of the evils. Without this earn
est thought and study much OF ourwork
may be thrown away; hopes may be
raissd that can never be fulfilled; our
zeal may perish for lack Of knowledge.
We are surely called on to give up the
greed for money and to raise our voices
and our example against the mean arti-
fees and INSCRIPTIONS speculatIons
which are the too means OF
making u fortune. do not mean tricks
that every honest man would avoid,
but many methods that are considered
allowable Oh even praiseworthy by the
ordinary business world. Such methods
as those Of the s%peculator who buys an
article (often with money he does not
possess) in order to sell it at IL rise; and
who pockets the difference which he has
done nothing in the world to earn and
to which he has no moral right what
eyer. In these, as in all other ethical
questions, there will be a margin where
all will not see their duty precisely in the
same light; but what l want to impress
is that we should cultivate IL far more
sensitive conscience in these matters
than we are apt to do, and be guided in
all cases by Il high and clivalrous sense
vi JltSlISC IN l. NJ ' CllC Ii
of this excessive haste to be rich are
only too apparent. What is the politi-
cal corruption that disgraces our land
and will (f it continues) prove her ruin
before long, but the result OF this selfish
and INSCRIPTIONS greed? The love OF
money, said Paul, is the root OF every
evil, and Christ says the ~same-that it
is deadning to the whole vision and
therefore thine eye be single thy whole
body shall be full OF light; but ii thine
eye be evil, thy whole body shall be iull
Of darkness" What Il miserable ship
wreck OF all that is best in him has a
man made who can talk OF nothing high.
er than money making; whose thoughts
never rise above leases and ground rents,
the spirit Of whose unspokcn prayer
papcrandMho hose first thoughton opening
it is to turn to the none market head.
ing to see how this company and that
are prospecting; who smiles if he finds he
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piously perhaps that Providence is
pleased with his goings; who is so i'm,
merscd in making money as to deserve
the cpitaph said to have been placed
grocer" What melancholy spectacle
it is to see a man become a stranger tC
his family and ruin his health by over.
work for the sake OF his $4,000 a year
when with $4,000 he could command
every essential comfort and have the in
estimable blessings OF health, leisure anc
family life. We are also called on tC
live SIMPLE lives, avoiding luxury and ex
travagancce. There is a very close con
n%ection between the luxury Of the ricl
and the poverty OF the poor. The. day
is past when it could be said with am
show OF logic that e~Ntravagant expendi
ture is good for trade. What is exactly
the nature OF this connection we canno'
now enquire; o is it possible or neces
sary to define the point at which luxury
begins. 1t is Of course right to gladde1
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books and pictures and music; but it il
easy to pass beyond the limit at whicl
our expenditure really does us good.
must emphasize once the Christian
principle that wealth is n t our own a.
an absolute possession to do as we Xix,
with, but a trust to be used for the goo(
of men. This principle all Christians
probably hold-on Sundays; but some
how 1t seems to have little practical APP
plication to too many OF their liyes.
Haven't a right to wallop my mig
ger?" This celebrated motto seemed NJ
doubt unanswelablc to the ordinar,
mind OF 200 years ago. "Haven't l
right to spend my money as l like?'
This question seems perhaps unanswer
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