The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-06
WHAT 7 WOULD DO
FOR SAN FRANCISCO
WERE | A MILLIONAIRE.
BY w. C. MORROW.


The millionaire has so delicious a self
satisfaction and, if he is a really good
fellow at heart, looks down upon the hopes,
aims, ambitions, suggestions and opinions
OF ordinary mortals with so patient a
benlgnancy, that I have no hope, even
should l cherish the desire, of disturbing
his serenity with the remarks which am
here to make. Possibly if 1 were a
millionaire l should be like most other
millionaires, and would think that
my mere possession of great wealth
gave me all the eminence in the commun-
lty that 1T should be the aim of a proud
man to wish for. Like the others, likely
would invest my wealth in the hope of in
creaslng 1t indefinitely if not infinitely,
and IN such ways that the handling of uy
business would increase my natural sordid-
ness, whet the cannibal teeth which [ in
herlted from ancient and most respectable
ancestors, and so completely swallow,
digest and assimilate me that I should
have neither time nor inclination for any
thing that might bring me different pleas
ure and eminence.
But as l am not millionaire l can in
dulge in that pastime common with poor
men-I can delude myself with the belief
that L would like to be rich solely that l
might be better. Believing that the more
conspicuous man is the larger should be
his bump OF appropriateness, should feel
that the brighter light in which I walked
made my conduct so much more open to
scrutiny and criticism than poor mans,
would feel the more keenly my RESPONSE
bllity to my own dignity. Love of whole
some appreciation is one of the finest ele-
ments of pride, and the rich man who is
not proud in every drop of his blood is a
beggar.
AS l should be proud of myself, of my
wealth and of my opportunity, should be
proud also OF my home, and the larger
part OF my home is my city and the greater
part Of my household are its people. I
take that to be certain kind of patriotism,
an admirable thing. If the city wherein I
lived suffered any incom pleteness or
wrong or shame that it might be in
the power of wealth to remedy I
would use the enormous power of my
fortune IN the process of correction. For l
know that money is wonderful thing. 1t
is more powerful than the bluest blood or
the proudest title in the world. Its pur-
suit is universal, its possession longed for
by all. If the intelligence and humanity
Of its possessors were equaLoto its power
there would be an absolute millennium on
earth. The moral responsibility resting
upon man OF many millions is greater
than that which burdens the conscience of
a king.
If could accomplish the seemingly i'm
possible ana retain as millionaire the
humanity and sense of responsibility that
perhaps poverty has lent to my concep-
ton of manhood and citizenship, 1 would
do all within the power of my wealth to
make my city worthy of the residence of
me and my family. l would call upon
other millionaires to associate themselves
with me (provided we were not all trying
to gouge and rob one another) in an or
ganizatlon com bining social and business
phases. l would constitute myself one of
a class, and announce the fact from
the housetops. 1 would say to my as
sociates in the Millionaires' Club:
Gentlemen, we hold ourselves aloof
from ordinary humanity, as we properly
should; but we are not doing what is re-
quired to justify our assumption of su-
periority We are the slaves of our wealth
instead of its masters. Associated in
closely bound body, we shall be able to
exercise power against which nothing
but death could prevail AS such an as
ISOLATION, we could direct the making and
execution of the laws. and could de-
termine the welfare of all local commercial
and industrial interests
"Seyera1 matters arc derandino our ~
tention and control There are abundant