Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-01-29


false merchant, whose motto is "busi-
ness is business" and every man for
himself" entertains for the true mer-
chant, whose controlling passion is not
greed but service. 1t also reveals the
fact that Shakespeare clearly saw the
iniquity of taking interest. No custom,
however venerable, could blind that
royal mind. II founded on a false
principle he intuitively felt that it was
a "goodly apple rotten at the core"
When Bassanio approaches Shylock
for loan and offers Antonio as his
surety, Shylock says (aside):
81 hate him, for he is Christian;
But more, for that, in low simplicity,
He lends out money gratis, and brings
down
The rate of usance here with us in
Venice
and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do
congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won
thrift,
Which he calls interest; cursed be my
tribe,
If forgive him."
At this day, in the estimation of our
business men," our practical" men,
what "low simplicity" it is, what an
Anticipated crank he is, what fool,
who lends out money gratis" If one OF
our merchants were now to rail at one
OF his fellows at the exchange, where
merchants most do congregate," for
taking interest, what a universal cack-
ling, as OF geese, would be heard! Yer
lily, the world does move. But still the
query remains-in what direction, hell
ward or heavenward?
g Shylock sought to justify his practice
OF taking interest by citing the exam
pie of Jacob cheating Laban out of the
best of his flocks in the unique way de-
scribed in the book of Genesis. To
which Antonio replies:
"Was this inserted Tin the Bible) to
make interest good?
Or is your gold and silver ewes and
ram9?
Shylock-I cannot tell; make it
breed as fast
Antonio-The devil can cite scripture
for his purpose.
An evil soul, producing holy witness,
is like villain with a smiling cheek.
o, what a goodly outside falsehood
hath!'
And when Antonio was arrested for
the debt, and in the custody of the Jail
er, Shylock exclaims, Talk not to me
Of mercy; this is the fool that lent out
money gratis"
Antonio says, LET him alone;
I'll follow him no more with bootless
prayers.
He seeks my life: his reason we'll ]
know;
oft delivered from his forfeitures
Many, that have at times made moan
to me;
Therefore he hates me-"
Is there a single Antonio among the
business" men of Christendom today
l believe it was somewhere in the
'70s that Mr. Abram S. Hewitt of New
York delivered an address before the
American institute of mining engi
neers. wish at this time to quote only
the concluding paragraph in which hi
sketches "the picture that will be pre-
sented at the beginning of the next cen
tury, when our mining interests will
be developed on scale somewhat com
mensurate with the area of the countr!
and the extent of it's resources"
"As New York will, be the center o
capital, so 1t will be the initial point o
our iron and steel industry. On tn,
shores of the Hudson river, the ores o
Lake Champlain of the valleys of Con
necticut, and of the highland ranges O
New York and New Jersey. will NEE
the anthracite Goals of Pennsylvani;
upon conditions so favorable that New
York and its vicinity must become
great metalurgical center. Thence tn
chain of fire, extending across New Jer
sey and following the banks of the LIE
high and Schuylkill to the Susquehana
will lead us by the margin of the Goa
fields, along the outcrop of the mag
netic hematite and fossiliferous ore
which extend through Pennsylvania
Maryland, Virginia, North and Soutl
Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Ala
bama, nearly to the Gulf, so that tn
light of furnace answering to furnac
will never be lost sight of in the lon
line of over 1000 miles! Hence. turn
ing to the west, Missouri, Kentucky
Western Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana an
Illinois, will be all aglow with furnaces
forges and mills, fed by the admirabl
fuel of the inexhaustible coal-felds q
the west, and the superb ores of Mis-
souri, and Lake Superior. The water
of the great lakes will reflect the flame
which will light UP their margin, Will
to the west, along the lines of the vari
ous Pacific railways, the newly foun
coal and iron of that hitherto trackles
region will form an enduring basis fo
the growth of industrious communltie.
busy cities and teeming farms. Th
west coast will not be behind in th
race, but an iron industry, more valus
BILE than its mines of gold and silve
will yet supply its growing million
with the fundamental basis upon whic
modern civilization rests. The growt
of this vast industry will be accom-
panied by the schoolmaster, the preach
er and the physician. Homes of whic
human nature may be proud will
established in it's wake; labor an
christianity will march hand in han'
binding all interests and all classes 6
harmoniously and so indissolubly t.
gether, that peace and good will b