The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-04
THE ETHICS OF ACCOUNTS.
4 WESTERLY DISCOURSE AT UNITED
 CHI HURCH.

VII ChGAs
 Sound Words by Rev. Dr. Munger-False
 Ideas Regarding Wealth and Refinement
 Poverty No Help Either-The Use Made
 of Money Test of Characteristic Folly
 of Debt Duty of Prudence and Avoi1-
 ance of Debt.
 An address was delivered to the Mems club of the United church last evening by Rev. Dr. Munger on "The Ethics of Keeping Accounts Dr. Munger said it is not how to get money which is the chief question, but how to use it. Use it in the ways of morality. It is not necessary to have great wealth in order to live in refinement. In America we have got in the habit of setting too high standard of living. In Scribner's for December there is an article in which it is said that to live comfortably and refined an income of $7000 or $8,000 is necessary to have great wealth in order chievous and false in that it sets up standard of living far beyond the reach of vast majority of our people. Noth- ing is more false than the idea that a large income is essential to comfortable and refined living. It is not how to gain large income which is essential, but how to get refinement, integrity sensibility and the knowledge of turn ing large income to a good account.
 It is a Woeful mistake that an income spent for fine houses and fine things will bring refinement. It is true that wealth helps to feed refined tastes, but it surely is not necessary to them. In fact a large income is often g hin- drance to refinement. If you are search ing for vulgarity look among the rich. Money often makes defects of faults which would otherwise remain hidden. On the other hand poverty is unfavora- ble to refinement. In short, among those with moderate income is found the most refinement.
 Sir Walter Scott in speaking Wordsworth says, "Plain living, but high thinking"
 We should remember that, whatever our income, our chief desire should be for refinement and to make money meet the ends for which it was designed. The use made of money is the utmost test of character. Lord BulWer says, "Nev- CT treat money affairs with levity, as money is character" A person careless about money is careless about every thing To know how to get, use and spend money is a true test of charac- ter.
 Good sense and prudence is shown in the way money is put aside for proper uses. A miserly use of money points to a bad character, but spendthrift use of money places character below every thing. Carelessness in the use of money may go with genius, but never with common sense This is a subject which demands most careful thought. It is a good plan to keep a. cash account, as a practical righteousness teaches us how to spend money. At the end of the year look over these accounts. Notice the | expenditures, and see if your life sus- tains them.
 Avoid debt. This is the folly of life. l The credit system, the curse of the busi- ness world, comes near to speculation. l It causes one to drift in careless way, | and the only reason why it is not called | theft, is because it is generally invited | by the creditor.
 Happy is the man of whom it can be | said, as Longfellow says of the village | blacksmith:
 t'IIe looks the whole world in the face | and says he owes not any man" Freezing cold, sick children, etc, make | some excuse for debt, but in most cases | even like these some stringent habits and rules would have obviated it's ne- cessity.
 Debt should be regarded as a malig Yan+ disaaea IT dact rows reaca of mind and takes away freedom.
 Keep steadily before you frugality and lay by some part of your income. Man is meant to provide against the future, and when he fails to do this he sinks to the level of brutes.
 Micawber's advice to David Copper field should be remembered: "An in- come of 20 pounds with an expenditure of 19.6 is happiness; but an income of 20 pounds with an outlay of 20.6 is mis- cry"
 The tragedy of old age is poverty, which might have been, foreseen. If you seek the source of poverty seek the saloons and cheap theaters. The way ahead is darkened for him who does not prepare a torch.
 The savings banks represent that character of man which is his noblest attribute.
 Next Sunday evening Dr. Anderson of the Yale gymnasium will speak in the United church on "The Ethical Ele- ments of Physical Training"
 FIRE IN NEW BRITAIN. Bake shop Destroyed Loss About s1 ,oOO.
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