New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-08
THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH.
ANDREW CARNEGIE TO YOUNG MEN. \
THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF SUNDAY EVENING
LECTURES IN THE REV. DR..


young men to be given in the Church of the Divine
Paternity Fih-ave and Forty -ffth-st was delivered
last evening ~ Andrew Carnegie. Ills suject was
"Young Men and Business Life; or, the Gospel OF
Wealth." Mr. Carnegie met fine audience. Every
seat Oh the main floor OF the church and in the gal
leries was occupied. 1t seemed little odd to look
upon Mr. Carnegie occupying the pulpit of the late Dr.
(hapjn But he well supported and II he had
become embarrassed in his effort any one Of the five
gentlemen sitting behind him could have come forward
and meritoriously filled the part Of sort OF under
study. These the Rev. Charles il. Eaton pastor
of the church the Rev. Dr. Robert COllyer Sir Edwin
Arnold George Gunton and John Bartholomew.
Mr. CafflegieS address delivered in an Off hand
conversational manner and at times the disposition
applaud proved TO be uncomfortable But il all
forgiven by general consent Mr.. Eaton introduced tie
speaker and at the close of the address made sup
Elemental remarks Then abiding to the representative
character OF those the platform in the matter OF
nativity, and the fact that the national hymn of Eng
land, of Germany and OF America set 10 the same
music, he proposed that the congregation should sing
my Native Country, Ills of Thee which was done
with thrilling eject.
The second lecture of the course will be By General
Stewart L. Woodford sunday evening next. His
subject will be Young Men and Political Life,
Personal Political Duty" On February 81 Dr.. John
S. White will speak Physical Training and Morals"
He will be followed by Colonel Thomas Wentworth
Higginson February %, whose theme Will be Young
Men and Literary Life the Literary Profession in
closing of the series will he by
the Rev. DR.. Robert Collyer. Young Men and the
Religious Life. or What Crowns All"
Inc lectures are free and cordial welcome is eA'
tended TO all by the pastor OF the church Mr..
Carnegie spoke as follows:
BEGINNING AT THE BEGINNING.
Your pastor has requested me to address you to-
night upon Wealth"
From the earliest times the accumulation of wealth
has been the subject of denunciation. Lycurgus,
Moses, equally with Plato and DiogeneS and most OF
the early teachers, echo the of Isaiah Woe unto
them that join house to house. that lay field TO eh
In approaching the subject we must ever hear
ringing in 1t is easier for camel to pass
through the eye of a needle than for rich man TO
enter into the kingdom of heaven" Yet the ac-
emulation of property has proved too strong for ali
the teachers and lawgvers As Mr.; Gladstone has
recently said, 1t is the business OF the world" -
II is necessary 10 tiace the beginnings of wealth
which has thus triumphed over all opposition:
In the savage condition of our race Their could he
no accumulation of property. The few people then
existing obtained each day the necessary food, and
clothed themselves with the skins Of the animals
captured. They were wand -rcrs, taking no thought
Of the morrow they lived day by day As Population
increased men formed ITEMS Ives INTO trlbeS al, ana
divided regions between them, and finally established
permanent quarters in Villages and began t. cultivate
The soil around them year after ar ala sun Inge Was
little private prGPS All t T he eSv IN ySnSn ES
products, even with each other. much less with other
tribes. Men wished only 10 cat and drink, to clothe
our race then was longer In the savage state.
1t had made it's first st'p upward and entered the
homes upon earth They had ceased to wander.
AS mprovs ment came. for the law of improve
ment is written upon the race more wants were felt
Verv soon one man of the tribe found able 10 maxi,
better hunting and fishing implements than any one
else and then other members agreed TO do hi, worh
IN the field If he would make these better impl'-
ments for them. Anoth was the best hunter another
took to the work he could do best, and instead of
doing everything for themselves, men began 70 eN-
from ihe spe ,G lo f com1eX htoeeneous
of I'D Mo va az SrlDGin
Man ceased to be Observation-Disclosures and masters OF
none, and each became master of one
At much later period In the history OF our race,
tribes began 10 exchange their products WIN tach
other for men were no longer satisfied TO iesci 'hrn
selves To the products Of any one region. IL was
som@tbne ' which another could not Interchange Of
manufacturer OF hunting or fishing implements or OF
nearby tribe the product Of his tribe aud rr night
home some Of the products Of the other; aud as he
would be required, he sometimes had mere 81
some things than he could dispose Of up
Of these things on hang that IS he ascnmq 9
customers and in this way there began the accnmrla
ton of surplus property. That alabSOrbng element
something stored UP for the future which labor had
made in the present some honey laid up in the
social hive.
INDIvIDUALIsM CROPS Up.
Afier a time the communal system was found fatal
to further development because it placed the lazy.
drunken, incompetent man upon an equality with 'he
industrious. capable and wedOng IT ailcl TO approve
merit and to dlsapprOvc vice: to reward labor ana 10
punish sloth. The foundation Of civilization was aii
that hour the tribe burst the she'll Of communal bar
barsn and proclaimed individuail.m the basis on
life proclaimed that those who do not work SIAN not
eat those who do not shall not reap; proclaimed
the right Of private property. the right Of man 70
reap what he sows. and only what he sOws
This the birth OF a new power-ind:'iauaii'h''
Every tub then stood upon it, own bottom. IT was
an evolution the result oil experience an eHPS'lc"o
which Is repeated in every attempt made TO-DAY 70
idea Of ali things in common. with whatsoevc" Ina,
ure We mete it will BE- measured out . Non mas
and barbarous countries today, We still ina le oiu
system, but nowhere on earth DO we ma me
civilization. except where every man ga'i, t. d ~
fruits OF his labor in security; ana aI.n u io
10 mako afraid" Mark You. not under the yi md a.
fg tree Of tribe, or community but under ms g., 'ut
vdualown. the most advanced man 81" III /"
Even Ca after the warning tribal phase lad given
place T r te r ras'o a age or IRE no
mining, seas to cross and even when tne manl
featuring mining and commerce were begun ouiy
upon the smallest scale Each weaver w0He ~ ~
india Iron made in small quantities at Iit,l'
fires which one family could easily SHY ,, %K Dre
sented themselves, Therefore for The rapd ,tbSr
enough beyond his immediate wants to dlfercntlale
him much from his neighbors in his house, environ
ments, or mode Of living There were no great en-
p'V Nth the Invention of steam, electricity, me
ta~@cii Instead Of each weaver maidne
cloth in his own house. we have The model ,',c
factory which produces miles Of yards per day W'ncil
"a so,d for few per yard. Instead OF the sinai
forge making ton OF iron. we have vast ESTABLISH
mcnts filled with pOnderOus machinery which produce
thO,ands of tons per day which Is sold IN the form
OF steel for a cent and fraction per pound instead
OF m. petty trader between communities carving MS
bag upon his back. the merchant In New lork, bY 4
spark OF fire flying under the sea, orders snip VIII,
hundred thousand OF tea 10 spread us sails IRON
China Another spark, and similar ship leaves the
uorts OF Brazil laden with sugar Another spark, ana
thns sau from our ports laden with food for the
pe0ple OF crowded Europe
70 perform such functions enormous sums OF nc
cumuIa.ed wealth concentrated In or i'm few hands
arc reGnisite The merchant could not move the ships
the m.nufacturer could not build the factory. unless
DossesScd % nims which in the pastoral age would
have seemed fabulous. No SNIP no railway, no telc