The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-05-16

VICIOUS 6XC1C0m0nC, SINKS steadily
down-a profligate, a wretch, a con
victed felon.
The love of money is corrupting
popular morals in many ways. DR..
Strong very we'll expresses it's effect on
moralsin these words: Sunday amuse-
ments of all kinds, such as horse racing,
baseball, theatres, beer gardens, steam
boat and railroad excursions are pro-
vided because there is money in them.
Licentious literature floods the land,
poisoning the minds of the young, and
polluting their lives because there is
money in it. Sunday amusement
fourishes in spite of the law,
and actually under it's influence,
because there is money in it.
And that great abomination of desola
ton, that triumph of Satan, that more
than ten Egyptian plaques in one-the
liquor traffic, grows and thrives at the
expense of every human interest, be-
cause there is money in it.
The growth of the spirit of specula-
ton has rapidly increased during the
last fifty years. The salaries of clerks,
the business capital, the bank deposits
and trust funds that disappear ION
char ge" indicate how wide spread Is
the unhealthy haste to be rich. And
such have been the methods of the Eek
change" because that it has d~egenerated
into little more than a euphernism for
gambling hell" While one bushel in
seven of the wheat crop of the United
States is received by the Produce Elk
change of New York, its trades buy
and sell two for every one hat comes
out of the ground. Whtn the cotton
plantations of the South yielded less
than six million ba'es of cotton, the
crop on the New York Cotton Exchange
was more than thirty-two millions.
Pennsylvania does we'll to I'll twenty
four millions Of barrels of oil in one
year, but New York City will do as
much, in two small rooms, in n week.
Such facts indicate how small a portion
of the transactions of the Exchange"
is legitimate business, and how large a
portion is simple gambling.
And while the love Of money cor
rupts morals, it blocks reforms. The
man that has favOrs to ask of the pub
lie is slow to follow his convictionsin into
any unpopular reform movement. His
decipleship to this or that cause must
needs be secret for fear Of the money
kings. The rich men bride and intImi-
date weakened politicians, and even
thrust their polluting hands, shining
with gold, into the palms of justice. 1t
is O greed that makes most men
Invertebrates. When certain Mormon
legislation was pending in Congress, a
few years ago., a number of New York
merchants telegraphed to members of
Congress, New York sold thirteen
million dollars of goods to Utah last
year. Hands off" The tribe of Derne-
trims is everywhere; men quick to per
ceive wien this, the craft by which
they have their wealth is being set at
naught.
And now let us note some of the
effects of money greed on those who
are possessed Of that disease. The man
that is so very anxious to be rich falls
into temptations and snares, and into
many foolish and hUrtful lusts, which
will eventually plunge him into de-
struction and perdition. He who makes
haste to be rich is tempted to resort to
INSCRIPTIONS methods.
In the first place, a poor man who
wishes to be wealthy is more than apt
to borrow money in order, as he thinks,
to have a basis on which to build. The
proverb says that an empty bag cannot
stand upright, neither can a man who
is in debt. Debt makes everything a
temptation. 1t lowers a mans self-re-
spect, places him at the mercy of his
tradesman and his servant, and renders
him a slave in many respects, for he
can no longer call himself his own
master, nor boldly look the world in
the face.
The greed of money leads to fierce
competition, and competition leads to
frequent authorizations and many forms
of bribing. This desire to berich drives
legitimate business to illegitimate
methods. Merchants offer prizes to
draw trade, and employ the lottery to
enrich themselves and debauch the
public.
The lover of great wealth is also
liable to lose his health while accumu-
lating his riches. Too many an Ameri-
can spends the first half Of his life in
acquiring wealth and losing health,
and in the last half he spends his wealth