The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-13

Nowadays.
ut is a perfectly legitimate transac-
| tion to buy or sell stock but to merely
nominally buy It. in hope that 1t will
| rise, Is gambling, an act In which the
loser gives and the WINNER wins
something for nothing, and I think
that the play at Monte Carlo is re-
| srectable compared to that which oc-
Cured last week in New York"
Thus spoke Rev. DR.. James Mcleod
at the First Presbyterian church last
night. where he delivered a powerful
sermon on "Some Bible Truths Touch
ing the Power and Importance Of
Money as illustrated by the Stock
Gamblers Recent Frenzy in the Race
for Riches"
Love Of money is the root of evil.
So writes the Apostle Paul." declared
the speaker. ut is not money. but the
love of money which is condemned,
the absorbing passion which induces
men to give it chief place in their
minds and affections and even risk
their lives for it. Money is Gods SER
want and too often mans master. 1t
controls the actions of millions in this
country and other countries. and the
love of 1t is the chief root Of the liquor
traffic. the opium traffic and the gamb-
ling traffic.
1T STIRRED MILLIONS.
1t is this power of money which
stirred up millions to fever heat last
week in New York and other cities
Gamblers gamble for money. and to
quote Herbert Spencer. in their case
the happiness of the winner in every
case implies the misery Of the loser
The transactions of the New York
stock exchange attracted the attention
OF the world. If the gains We're mil
licrs, so, too, We're the losses. No one
mas any good reason to condemn stock
exchanges. 1t is an honorable busi-
ness and a commercial necessity these
days"
Here followed the remarks quoted at
the beginning Of this article and DR.
Mcleod then resumed:
THE teachings Of the Bible are Of
ten misunderstood in regard to money
1t is not wrong to seek and have
riches in a righteous way and right
eous uses. Jesus Christ only warns us
against the abuse of wealth. 1t is our
duty to provide for the poor, the
widows. the friendless and this can
not be done without money. Money
has done much good in this world. but
not nearly as much as will be done
when all wealth will be consecrate
wealth and every rich Christian will
regard himself as steward Of the
Lord.
fa ,tv>f,, Ill
of Dives. or Judas, who sold his mas.
ter for thirty pieces of silver as OK
amples of men and money, and Abra-
ham was rich and yet goodly man.
Isaac was rich, Jacob was rich, David
was rich. and Job was very very rich,
all great and good men,"
Money could not buy Henry " a
good nights sleep; riches cannot keep
away sickness or death, avert tooth
ache or any i'll. and yet if you had
asked the men on the stock exchange
last week what was the chief end of
man they would have answered that 1t
was to glorify gold and glorify it for
ever. I have no doubt that some men
would have made that answer"
MEND1cANTS AND BEGGARs.
original trend and turned to the men,
dicants and street beggars, another
class of people who want something for
nothing, and then referred to local
strikers and their efforts to attain the
ends they have set before them IT
have no objection" he sturdily eX-
claimed. ito strikers striking for bet
ter wages or for the nine-hour day.
but II a man wants to work ten hours
day and striker seizes him by the
throat and says. NO, you shall not
that is not the action OF an American
citizen.
"The man who wants something for
nothing is despicable creature,
whether he Is on the New York stock
exchange or the streets of Scranton.
Anyone willing to obtain wealth by de-
spicable means is not worthy our re-
spect. And yet, who Is this person who
regards life a failure unless he can be
rich? He is an immortal creature with
soul akin to the angels. And what
Is the consuming desire of the man
who made two or three millions last
week? To secure a seat at the right
hand of God in Glory? No, to secure
handful of dust, he keeps his i'm
mortal soul grinding at the wheel of
Mammon.
Though Mammon worship is popu-
lar in America, If you will live and
labor as heroes labored. though you
die a poor man and be buried in a
paupers grave, even if those who pass
your grave say, Poor fellow, his life
has been failure if you but live as
those have lived of whom the world
was not worthy, you will have the tes-
timony of good conscience to soothe
your dying hours"