New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-28
puIL1NIHROPY TILT is WISE.

rho critics If the existing social system arc
vohcment in declaring that II favors the accu'
mutation of wealth i'm n few hands. But 'hey
fail 70 note the equally striking fact that many
rich mon today are distributors rs well as acc"-
u,u,,tors of wealth. In itself of course, inc
mere distribution of wealth is not neccssar"!
n GOOD thing. History is full of instances where
II has worked evil. though good was intended
Many fomous charitable endowmcnts in Eu-
rome. on account Of changed conditions. nave
RIM to seed. and either help nobody or help
those who neither need nor deserve help. Nor
are there wanting similar cases III this county.
whore hencfactions are so tied up and limited
in their scope that they are allnost "hoii!
wasted II is not enough for a rich man merely
10 give his money for m apparently good cause
Quite as important rs the desire 10 give - 'he
wisdom TO give To the right thing ID the right
way and under such conditions ms VIII always
result in the greatest possible good 10 the iars
est number Of people. The amount OF money
which has been worse than wasted through n
failure 10 understand this fundamental truth
is enormous Had this money never been given
nj all. the world would be far better on
But the noteworthy fact about modern Dene-
factions is thai in majority OF cases Ihey
are wise If a committee of the wlsest ana
most unselfish men In the country had been IL
trusted with the enormous sums OF money mat
have been given for various public purposes
during the last fifteen or twenty years, it Is eX-
trcmely doubtful if they could have suggcsted
any wiser or more helpful benefactons than
those which most rich men nave selected Oh iheir
own yotion. The socialistic dream Is the i'll
partial distribution of wealth by n central Dody;
but II is only dream, for unde" socialism every
man would be poor. and there would be no
wealth 10 distribute In the mean while, rich
men are coming to believe that they hold their
wealth as trustees for humanity, and in so far
as they live up to This belief they are doing IN
comparably more to promote human progress
and happiness than those who are trying To
make over human society without taking into
account me human equation, which must have
n place in every problem Of philanthropy
Take as Illustrations three bencfactions which
have been made recently j. Pierpont Morgan
gift of S1.OO0.O0O for a lying-in hospital III TINS
city WAS in itself n splendid contribution Tor i
very much needed institution. But In attaching
10 il the condition that the hospital must be ade-
Quatey provided with money for its support ne
guarded against n mistake which mas dotted
every civilized land with institutions that nave
no money with which to do their work. All the
details concerning the reported gift OF the
Baroness dc Hirsch 10 charitable objects IN
this country nre not yet made public; but
enough is known TO make ii certain that 1t VIII
be administered along wise and helpful lines. so
rs 10 do the greatest good 10 the greatest mum
Der The same thing is true Of the recently an
nounced gift of William H. Grace. of this city
for the esta blishment of Il trade school for WON
en-. In arranging the details of his plan the
donor has taken counsel with practical philan
thropical workers. who. by actual experience
know Just the way in which such an institution
can best do the work for which II is established
But these more recent instances OF wise and
helpful philanthropy are by no means iso-
lated cases. The Cooper Union. Of which all
Ncw-YorkerS are So justly proud. Is another OF
the many illustrations in point. Human wisdom
could devise no happier or more useful benefac-
ton than this noble institution. which, year
after year. is spreading the light Of intelligence
and civilization in the community. We have
spacc here only 10 refer to another tendency or
rich men today which is doing much To enlarge
their ability TO do good with their money. An
increasingly large number of them are making
their benefactiOns during their life. thus ena-
bling them to see that tn, r ideas are fully and
faithfully carried out. But the important fact
is that one way or another. men of wealth to-
day are not only giving largely Of their means
in order 10 help their fellOwmen, but they are
doing 1t with farsightcd slgacty that merits
all praise.