The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
DUTIES OF VERY RICH MEN.
OPINIONS As TO rHE BEST USE TO
MAKE OF MILLIONS

ment of Wealth in Busincss-The Need
of HELPING People to Help Themselves.
Andrew Carnegie having said that to dio
rich was to die disgraccd. the following opln-
ions Of other men on the subject have been OBJ
tanned:
S2O.OOO.OOO. He holds decided views on the
subject OF charitable giving, and EMPLOYS AL
moners to see that his own bencnccnces bring
good results Mr. Rockefeller saws:
Il hold that ii is every mans duty to make
as much as he can. and to give away as much
as he can to good purpose. True philanthropy,
like charity. begins at home. II the millionaire
invests his money in business that providea
employment for large numbers OF mon. II he
pays his employees we'll So that they can work
out their own advancement. ho is fulfilling his
duty to the community and doing the greatest
amount 81 good to the workugmen. As forthe
surplus wealth which man may accumulate
beyond his own needs and those OF his family.
there variety of useful ways In which
| It may be employed have always been in-
| terested in church work. and conceive 1t to be
| my first duty to give to religious enterprises
| Next to that the cnus" ~ education appeals to
me II rich man has any duties beyond those
Of his fellows. in a country like this. whose
stability depends upon the intelligence and
moral character Of its citizens. 1t is to help
| toward the moral and intellectual bettermenN
do not believe there is any man in the coun-
| try to-day with Z million dollars beyond his
| own personal and business needs who would
not give it TO any object which he felt perfectly
sure would help tn" citizenship OF the country
| in those two respects
| Philip Il. Armour who has given away S1O,-
| OOO.OOO. saws: Will" do not pretend to DO
! an authority on scientific charity have tried
| to emhody my own ideas on the subject in the
| Armour Institute"
| G. /. Huntington saws: Suppose man who
| has mad fifty or hundred millions In business
| wtthdraws that sum and gives 1t away In any
| form he may select. The chances are nine out
! Of ten that his money will do less real good
| than It would If he had left it where IL was.
| Great wealth Is desirable only for what IL can
| accomplish. think we are coming more and
| more to appreciate that Iut it can accom-
psh more by sticking to its legitimate field
| than it can 10y going out ot its way to
| promote lt0rIan schemes or Ivy snoil-
ing young men by overeducating them.
! 1t is tho duty of great wealth to
carry ont great industrial and commercial
enterprises which result in cheapened produo-
| ton more opportunities for labor. II
! $I5.OOuOOO rau so develop our trade with the
East that we get ono OF our necessary commo-
| dities a cent a pound cheaper It will do moro
good in the end than If it is histrihuted among
the people OF the country, giving them dollar
| !
| industrial enterprise in mot on h" cannot help
doing good. and the question Of what to do
II is tuiy Occur led
j. Pierpon' Morgan has given money to build
scums ami to help bu. Id a great cathedral. Ap-
barenily h" think. the millions given to the
says: When on" looks about and secs the
ms"ry an! syn; sqEcrhins engaYh by stekness
means to relieve it he cannot help feeling that
to alleviate a littI" of it is tn" du'vot those
! who have been fortunate or successful. This,
most practical charity"
sands toward woman 3 hospital He says:
do not see how tits disgrace for a man
negie viii die dissraced My own yr," opinion ID
that ,, man may better employ hi. money In
and benefit tn" community than to give it away
) suppose gave away all That | own thou:
week i would all lie gone and they would be
back here for more But by using it in the
steady work 10 hundreds ~ honest workings
men who don't want any charity beyond what
The Kev, DR.; William S, ,Rainstord, pastor of
st G"orge's Lris'opal Church in New York.
me to-day and asked: How can best employ
. York city, / should reply: GO buy some
blocks of tenements tear them down and turn
Anything that adds q he enjoyment, health
: fTIn"ss and right training Of children improves
y.
and gives assurance that the coming men and
women. shall be decent am, worthy eltl-
/ think deserving OF greater sttentioa
from those who want to do good with their
over 80 VIII" have faji,i in the tati" Of ife.
DO you know that 30 per cent. Of those who
rotIers Field: That S a tcrrDs inIiotmsas
agaI9ts' 70 "n ar social a., sys'Im trrrne testi;
advanced age do not Eeeye that there here "a "a
any nauperlzing tendency in helping the de-
believe in old age pensions i believe that att the
time will come when we shall have them,
for the employment of private charity. The
trouble with our miIlionnires and great givers
masteriul. that they want to dictate exactly
how. their gifts shall be applied and used.
have men Oh our art COMMISSIONS. not because
they KIN knHw wa awning esoqt art bIt because
educational boards who know nothing Of
scientinc, education but arc able to force
Of the money they give Similarly our chari-
ties are largely in the hands of men who never
VII" disfate because they sv" I do not P be.
iieve that charity can be employed advan-
poyment. As soon as one attempts that he
runs up against yestsd Interests and on
Darius .. Mills says Probably there never
sign. in an age that is often denounced 40
e devote ~ least, a coheideraDe portion 81
their wealth to altruistlc purposes. l do NOT
believe that one can bay UfHhaud that any par
most practical Any man who is deeply
interested in such matters is more familiar
with certain lines OF charitable endeavor than
he Is with others He is apt TO exaggerate
the Importance Of that which hs knows most
about. For myself do not know OF any form
Of charity that would condemn Neither do
| know Of any that is doing more practical
good than the Mills hotels. When the plan OF
providing cheap, clean and comfortable lodg.
inGS for poor work ingman was discussed 10
was freely predicted that IL would result In
failure. 1t was said that a scheme which was
part business and part philanthropy would
never work. But the test ~ actual opera
ton has proved that the NILS hotels are
all business AS well as some philanthropy.
They arc proving successful far bnYOnd my eX-
pccta' lnns. In my opinion. the success Of
the Mills hotels as of any phiIauihrOpr under.
taking that is to be really hnn"ti'aI, lies IN
hnlnllg mnn To hein tLnInhnlND-- MY lIna Of