Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
WHAT TO DO WITH MILLIONS
Millionaires Discuss Cansgies Dic'um,
TO Die Rich is to Die Disgraced"
HELPS TO PUBLIC PHlLANTHRoPlsS
Views of Rockefeller, Armour, Hunt-
ington, Morgan, Mills, snRc aud
HiIl on the Duties of
the Rich.

or preparing to give away, millions to one
great charity or another. 1t locks as though
Andrew Carnegie's dictum that to die rich
is to die disgraced, was making good many
converts among the millionaires.
II 1t is a disgrace to die rich, what are
our wealthy men to do with their millions?
What are the objects and who are the sub
jects likely to profit by well directed char
ity? Are our mllionaires ready to give
away their wealth, or part OF it? These
and other questions connected with this new
movement now on foot among the wealthy
are answered by some of the most prominent
millionaires and philanthropsts in the coun
try.
John ID. Rockefeller is reported to be worth
$500 900, 900 or more. He has given away at
least $40, 900, 900. He holds decided views on
the subject of charitably giving and employs
almoners to see that his own benefcences
bring good results Mr.. Rockefeller says:
IL hold that 1t 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 bus
mess that provides employment for large
numbers OF men, if he pays his employees
we'll so that they can work out their own
advancement, he is fulfilling his duty to the
community and doing the greatest amount
OF good to the workingmen.
| LAS for the surplus wealth which a man
may accumulate beyond his own needs and
those of his family, there are variety of
| useful ways in which it may be employed.
have always been interested in church
work. and conceive 1t to be my first duty to
give to religious enterprises Next to that
the cause of education appeals to me. If
rich man has any duties beyond those of his
-
bility depends upon the intelligence and
| moral character Of its citizens it Is to help
toward the moral and intellectual betterment
Of those who lack advantages or opportun
ties. ] do not believe there is any man in
the country today with $1,000 900 beyond his
own personal and business needs who would
not give 1t to any object which he felt per-
fectly sure would help the citizenship of the
country in these two respects"
| short and Pointed.
| Philip d. Armour, who has given away
| $40, ,oOO,0 600, and has not yet stopped, says:
while do not pretend to be an authority
| on scientific charity, have tried to embody
my own ideas on the subject in the Armour
| institute"
| AS the Armour institute is conducted for
the purpose Of giving the poor boys of Chi
| cago technical and trade education, Mr.. Ar
| UlOuT eNlUeHlly agrees WIFI MI. NOCheltIleI
| in holding to the educational idea
| There are others who believe that there
are better ways of employing wealth than
| by giving it away. C. p. Huntington Is one
OF these. He says:
| Suppose a man who has made $50 900 900
| or 500 900 900 in business withdraws that
| sum and gives it 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 II where it was. Great
| wealth is desirable only for what it can
| compish l think we are coming more and
more to appreciate that. But it accom-
| plish more by sticking to It's legitimate field
than it can by going out OF its way to pro-
| mote Utopian schemes or by spelling young
men by oveTeducating them.
! at Is the duty of great wealth to carry
out great industrial and commercial enter
prises, which result in cheapened produc-
| tion or more opportunities for labor. II
seventy-hve millions can so develop our
| trade with the east that car get one Of
our necessary commodities cent pound
| cheaper, ii will do more good in the end
! than is it is distributed among the people of
the country. giving them 81 aple ,e in direct
| charity. If a man sets a great industrial
enterprise in motion he cannot help doing
good and the question of what to do with
| HIS UUHey uCeS not DDl0cT MIN, because IL
is fully occupied"
| j. Pierpont Morgan has given money to
| build hospitals, to buy works of art for pub
lie museums and to help build a great cathe-
dral. Apparently he thinks the millions
| given to the first of these objects the best
| employed, for he says:
| When one looks about and sees the
misery and suffering caused by sickness
among those who have not themselves the
means to relieve it, he cannot help feeling
| that to alleviate little OF it is the duty
of those who have been fortunate or sue
oessful The care OF the sick poor is, in
my opinion, our most practical charity"
No Disgrace to Die Rich.
Russell Sage agrees with Mr.. Morgan that
to relieve the sick is a charity that SHOULD
appeal to wealthy men. Mr. Sage recently
gave several thousands toward a woman's
hospital. However, he does not agree with
Mr.. Carnegie's dictum. He says:
Il do not see how it is a disgrace for n
man to die rich. II it is, am afraid that
Mr.. Carnegie will die disgraced. My own
opinion Is that man may better employ
his money in productive enterprises that
give employment and benefit the community
than to give II away. Suppose ] gave away
all that | own to thousands of poor people
in this city today. Next week it would all
| be gone and they would be back here for
more. But by using 1t in the business en-
terprises which ] represent 1t gives steady
work to hundreds Of honest workingmen, who
don't want any charity beyond what they
can earn"
Nathan Strauss, the wealthy merchant,
who has given away large sums TO various
practical charities, such as providing pure
milk at a nominal price in the tenem snt dis ,
tricts OF New York, believes that the ques-
tion OF the unemployed Is the greatest prob
lem that phianthropists have to face. He
says:
Undoubtedly our wealthy men are com
ing more and more to regard their posses
sions as trust held in keeping by them
and TO be devoted in part at least 10 the
betterment OF their less fortunate fellows.
II believe that il any man has a million
or several millions to give away the best
use he can put it to is to furnish work to
the unemployed. 1t cannot be denied that
there are thousands OF men in the country
all the time who are willing and anxious TO
work, but who, for one reason or another
cannot find work 10 do. Your man OF mil
lions can accomplish a world OF good II he