The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
Prominent Chicago Preacher
\ Takes New View
OF the Duties of Millionaires
~ Toward the People.
HOLD THEIR WEALTH
To Use for the Best Interests
of the Race.
Altruism Considered as Applied
to the Rich.j

Chicago, July 12.-In graphic, vivid
language, DR.. Frank Crane, pastor of
Trinity Methodist church, preached a
sermon on socialism under the title of
"A Sermon to Rich Men"
DR.. Crane spoke as follows:
Democracy is the most character
1stic word of modern times, and that
whether applied to politics, religion or
sociology. Little by little the idea
that the people are the fountain of all
power is permeating every department
of thought. The first thing to do is
to distinguish between what one has
and what one controls.
THE rich man owns just as much,
and no more, of his house, his books,
and his grounds as he can own of the
sky, or the air, or the river that winds
PIacidly by his estate, or the highway
along which beggar and prince go with
equal privilege.
But while man can own only what
he can use, what food he can digest,
what beauty he can see, what music
he can hear, what air he can breathe
and what human beings he can love, l
do not wish to be understood as saying
he should not have authority over any
more. Unless some persons are put in
control of the things of the earth the
malicious element of humanity would
soon destroy all their usefulness IN
less there were authorities we should
have anarchy and universal ruin.
The rich man, therefore, is one who
has been appointed to the control of the
good things of life for the benefit of
the people. But he should never for
get the source of his authority, which
is the people.
1T being true, then, that a rich man
is but an officer of society, what right
has he to live in spendthrift idleness
and debauching luxury while those
with hunger? Today the people are
awakening to the fact that the wealth
owners are but men. They have prov
ed that as a class they cannot be trust
a6 adj mi hair for no
benefit of the people, and therefore it
is time the people should put upon them
such constitutional restrictions and Ie-
gal regulations as will compel them to
do so.
1T is doubtless unpopular and smacks
of anarchy to say wealthy men are
and the God OF the people when they
use their revenues for extravaganza
and spendthrift luxury. But, let it
sound as it may, it is ChriSt'S truth.
Universities, charities and churches
crinGe before Midas, asking for help,
when they should manfuIly stand up
and declare the unsoftened counsel of
the Bible, that no man has a right to
wealth who does not conscientiously
use it for his fel1ow-heirS of the ALL
Rather. The rich young man today
who Squanders money in yachts and
feteS and clubs and gilded elegance
while others StarVe and struggle is no
better than the nabob princes of the
Orient who reveled in silken luxury
while their subjects persisted of famine
over the head of every rich man hangs
the Damocles sword of Christ's mas
xuuch'i The dangerous class of this day
consists of those elected to wealth by
the people who use this wealth for
themselves.
All other civis scandals, of which
Chicago now is full, are due to this
mOnarchic and irresponsible wealth or
der in the midst of otherwise democrat
lie institutions This power debauches
politics until the city council is a dis
grace, the state legislature is a, Seeth-
ing Gomorrah, and political life has
come to mean the prostitution of every
manly quality.
Nowhere this side of he'll and no
time since Sodom, has there existed g.
worse plague spot of social 1eproSy
than you can find in twenty blocks on
Clark and State streets, Chicago. IT'S
not the vice of the people but the power
of wealth that keeps up these brothels.
This is the political center of control of
our city Through the courteSan, the
thief and the saloonkeeper our police
is rotted, our aldermen and city officials
are intimidated. The wealth power
controls the. people of the city through
the means of thugs and prostitutes.
These dives could be suppressed, but
the masters of the city hall do not want
them suppressed; they form too per-
feet an engine for political control.
Recently the people have witnessed
in helpless amazement an unparalleled
riot of bribery and fraud and venality
in the legislature and the council. I
am glad of it. 1t takes such a. mon
strous carnival of impudent power to
make the people see where lies the
danger. Such things would be irnpos-
sible if we mad sense enough to put
municipal franchise under municipal
ownership. It is significant that the
son of the greatest exponent of politi-
cal rights of the people is now the pres
ident of the gas company-a fine ex-
ample of the economic no-rights of the
people.
The great mogul of this day, domi-
mating all humanity, is capital.
IF there is any one idea we ought to
get from the whole tone and drift of
the Bible, it is that the people are the
living and present representatives of