The times., 1898-01-02
md happiness Better be a Paul than "a


millionaire.
As advancing civilization always Gre
ates new needs, requiring larger wealth
for theii satisfaction, hence tile poor mao
may be rela lively poorer in an age of
progress; his wants have been Increased
faster than his means In this sense Henry
George was tight when he said that prog
ress increases poverty" No rise In wages
Will remedy the case, unless the rise COW
ers tte new wants. To claim that the la
borer 81 all kes p stswn his wants TO the old
standard is to claim that he must refuse
To shars III the comforts and privileges
which Ia. new CIVILIZATION brings. Is this
JUST Is it best f"r sscicty st-1arge 10 bar
any man rem the uplift which civilization
means: Fancies may be refused: bus not
all the ne~ wants are whims and rlncie:.
Poverty and wealth have another rsIa
tion. AS Locke SAYS: Riches do not con
sist in Iay ing gold and silver. but in rav-
ing moro H. proportion than our neigh
bors.' The savage who has two blankets
struts with pride, and Jocks down with
Contempt upon him who has only one; IND
the mar, who has one million is counted
poor hy a Vanderbilt. with his hundreds IF
millions The Sharpest pincsi OF poverty
is felt, nat by the heggar. hut by him whose
possessions are ourranked by his feIio ".
4..HE CAUSES OF POVkRTY.
The causes OF povertFy are many. Among
the personal causes are ignorance, Idle
ness, inteni perance, and improvidence. To
these we II nst add physical and mentalin-
firmities and misfortuneS, ami the wrongs
and robberies practiCed by employers or
others. The failure of smpIoymc IT. the
source cf 81 mucA wrejchedneSs imnng
modern laborers. must also be charged
mainly t.. the mistakes OF tie employing
classes; but the discussion vf these labor
famiues viii occupy another paper.
The impersonal carscs of poverty in
Clude famines. piagUrs, wars and the
disasters NLicl. run crops, pardlyZe trade,
or seriously Interrupt industry. \ more
fatal cause OF poverty is the false esteem Of
riches and tie false fear of being poor.
Wealth So GazZies by its splend0rs and de-
ludes ny its promises and want and work
50 appeal that men make haste to Get
rich and plunge into TuinoUs speculations
or Other gambling risks, where the few
grow rica cn the spells of the thousands
that lose all. Thus many, IL not a ma
ioritr of millionaire fortunes are "a l,ie
Half the enormous Indebtedness which
brought or the great panic of 1898 AMI
which still keeps the country in the grip 4
hard times. was the result of speCulations.
chiefly in landsand lots, by nearly all classes
/. THE CHRIST IDEALS.
Jesus was lover of the roor, a friend
Of publicans and sinners The first
great fact in the Masters life was Ills
choice of social position. 1t was among
the Iaboring poor. Till thirty years Of
age He worked 8 a carpenter. He de
scribed His poverty i'll the we'll known words:
The foxes have holes and the birds of
the air have nests, but the Son OF God has
not wherc 20 lay His heal This choice
OF rank did not merely contemn riches.
nor express sympathy for the poor; it
marked Tis idea of the best position for
a great and useful life. of the vantage
ground for one who would do the grandest
service. The clear, economic idea He
taught at the outset was the subortlination
of property to the higher nature OF man,
and the higher duties of life. His IA
NOUS reply TO Satan, Man shall not live
by bread aIone,' declared His estimate. of
property even in it's most necessary form
as food for the body. Elsewhere, he added:
A man HIe CoTSlStetn not III TIE aDunu-
ance of the things which he possesseth.''
In His great sermon on the mount he
passes to the positive side OF Hisidea, saying
in the opening sentence. Blessed are the
pure in spirit for theirs is the kingdom OF
Heaven IN other words he that has
conquered in his heart all love OF wealth
is tile Kingly man. In the same Sc rmon y e
gives reasons for His disregard OF wealth,
Lay not up for yourselves treasures on
earth,'' and FOR where your treasure is
there will your heart be also All earthly
property is perisilabIe the elements destroy
iv, insects consume it. and the cupidity of
man steals it. Tieto the perisha BILE and your
heart and hope viii perish with it; tie to
the imperishabIe aad your life will also be
imperishai,ic To emphasize this though
He pointed to the birds wheeling around
Him and TO the flowers at HIS feet, rs
proof of Coos care for his creatures.
Wien the Pharisees, who Were lovers
of money scoffcd at Him. He told them