Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-02
TWELVE PAGES
THURSDAY. MARCH ., 1899.
1.-THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL"

When one desires money strongly be-
cause he has need for it. or has laud
able purposes to Which he wishes to
apply 1t. his pursuit of it may be as
high and praiseworthy as any other
temporal vocation. Though he labor for
and amass riches only for the power.
position and influence which they Sc
cure him, there is nothing that he
should be reproached for in that. pro-
vided he does not neglect better and
more important things, and make
money the god OF his life
There are few things in this world
more useful and desirable than wealth.
yet we are told that "the love of
money is the root of all evil" and that
1t Is "as difficult for n rich man to
enter the kingdom of heaven as it is
for camel to so through the eye of
needle: land we all understand that
money itself, in any form. does Il vast
deal of harm, as we'll ms good. Yet
after all, it is in the man, rather than
in the things; and n good man is none
the worse for his wealth, as n bad man
is none the better for his poverty. The
difference is in the attractiveness of the
one. and the responsiveness of the other;
and in the famous prayer of Agur, the
son of Jakch, lie says:
GIVE me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with food convenient for me-
lest I be full and deny Thee, ana say.
Who is the Lord? or lest l be poor ana
steal and take the name of my God in
vain"
That prayer, indeed, expresses the
true philosophy OF condition; points out
the dangers OF the two extremes; ana
distinctly sets forth what is best for all
Of us: for although some men grow in
grace With poverty, and some glorify
the Lord by their wise and charitable
use of riches--Job, in fact. being an cX
ample OF n man who was true and just
under all circumstances; it is none the
less true, that lie is hau9est. safest
and least liable to evil, who being
neither poor nor rich. has:
Health. peace and competence"
The most unfortunate man in tn
world is he who loves money supremacy,
satlable voracity all the time, wherever
he can see it. hear it, feel ii, taste 1T,
smell It. or imagine it; his whole being
and all his senses, like the drunkard
for whiskey ycarning for money, or its
equivalent. He may be n millionaire.
with all the power. standing and in
nuence his great happiness give him;
yet the meanest bcggar on the streets
IS more content than he, less full OF
fears. and often n better man. lie is
truly mono maniac when the only
considerations, that move him. are only
profit and loss: and he is the most
dangerous maniac in the community,
in public affairs or private business.
when he makes money the decisive con
sideration in all matters with which he
has to do.
Even more dangerous than the
moneymaniac himself are some of his
followers and retainers; as mans
dogs are more fcrocious than himself.
Such follower. like the dog, goes fur
Their and faster than his master, be-
cause he has nothing to lose, and it is
his instinct to trail and tree. OF run to
earth. the game his master wants; ana
then he places himself OH guard, with
loud and ready bark, ana teeth on edge
to bite and tear. We meet these I'M
derlings in all public places. for they
are eager to be known as the cham
pions and defenders of riches and their