The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-03-28
EDITORIAL INK DROPS.
CHARITY.

it's giving. There are sources and
methods of acquiring enormous for
tunes which are legitimate and there is
giving large sums that is only COM
mendable. But the question often
arises how was the wealth obtained?
The question arises in the minds of
good people.
It is known that man at the head
of a great Trust can depress wages a
small per cent on some thousands of
workmen, clean up million dollars
for benevolence, and give that sum
away and still live in his accustomed
luxury. Or trifling advance Of the
price Of an Illuminating fluid may
bring in million for a university.
But whose money is given away?
When the head of a great Hardware
Trust Is scattering millions not like
snowHakes but like snow drifts? What
OF the thousands and thousands in
coal mines and iron mines and iron
mills and steel mills and their fami-
lies? In what huts or novels have
they lived? How have the wives and
mothers been clothed? In what sort
of houses have the children been rails
ed? How fed, clothed and educated?
Had their families been housed in
comfortable quarters and we'll clothed
and fed and the children we'll educat-
ed, the profits of the Trust would have
been reduced by half or three quarters.
And these now poor and ignorant peo-
pie, educated little above dumb
beasts, might have become so develop
ed and enlightened as to enjoy giving
of their surplus to libraries, colleges
and churches. And has not their
money contributed really large part
or its bulk of the largest gifts report
ed?
But we need not tx our thought on
the great givers. Suppose here is an
Individual who from his youth up has
never had the confidence of all his
neighbors in his business dealings
As many others have done suppose he
has failed in business, "signed over"
and settled at 10, 20, 30 or 40 cents on
q dollar or less. But he is in business
again and relatively to his locality has
become rich. But his native town is
on It's decline. Education is at a low
ebb. He is now old. His breathing
is difficult. His heart is weak. His
limbs are feeble. 1t won't
cost him much now to give "to be seen
OF men," And may he not raise his
reputation among his neighbors and
get little glory abroad? He offers a
few thousand dollars for a new school.
house, library or public hall provid.
ed others will give four times as much.
And the thing is done and he has the
chief credit for it.
But he still owes 80 per cent, more
or less, ON his old debts. He has not
followed the example of Mckinley and
Levi p. Morton and first pay dollar
for dollar to all creditors. Then ir
the case supposed he pays 20 per CEN
and his creditors pay 80 per cent O.
the Thousand. He pays 5000; they pay
$500. And instead of paying one-fiftf
OF the $4,000 he pays one-twenty-tifth
No great reason then for giving him ;
very great and pull lie Qualification
But we have supposed the motive t.
be "to be seen of men, But "to b
seen of men" is very often to be seel
through. Verify they have their re
ward? Sometimes worldly-minded 0
unprincipled men, when about to ste
off into the great unknown, SHOW
symptoms of apprehension or feal
But we have been suppC sing simply
Now as to an actual case.
The writer recently heard Of a cas-
in one of our large Connecticut citie
A man who had gotten a good deal
money dishonorably or dishonest
thought he had come to his last sicl
ness and so sent for minister. He tOl
the minister he had not been a goo
man and had been INSCRIPTIONS abOl
getting money. And he asked if
would help his chances any on tt
zl.1,,1J 1ro,r ol,o~