The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-07-25
ABILITY is WHAT COUNTS.

At times we Americans are very
near to confessing that we are a
nation of money-grubbers and dollar
chasers. But some of Jul foreign in
spectors and critics understand US
better than we understand ourselves.
The outside point of view has its adj
yantages. Mr.. Alex Sahlin, an En-
glishman, sees our apparent respect
for wealth in a light that does credit
to us. MI. Sahlin is one of those Of
numerous friendly visitors, critics or
chroniclers that Great Britain sends
US in these days, in marked contrast
to the Sydney Smiths, Dickenses, the
Trollopes, ETC., of other days. He is
one OF a commission appointed by the
British Iron Trade association to in
quire into the iron, steel and allied
industries of the United States. In
the course of his report he says:
I have heard it enormously stated
that the Americans worship dollars.
This is not so, because a rich man
as such is not greatly esteemed.
What the American admires and
honors is the ability to do; that ca
pacity in a man, through his own
sagacity, nerve, enterprise and skill
to create and employ a fortune. No
body in America seems to feel above
his work or degraded by it. AS it is
done, and as is the result obtained,
so is the mar esteemed by his fellow
men, and such is the place he will
make for himself in his community or
in his country. Everybody works and
works for the sake of work: and
thus there has been produced in
America in the short space of one gen.
e1aton an industrial potentially which
is more wonderful and more to be
feared than the works have created.
Nowhere is the struggling..youth more
kindly encouraged, more readily
trusted, more generously aided, more
gladly made place for than in Amer
lea. and when / say this | speak from
personal experience, and with graft
tude in my heart toward many of
those busy and keen but also generous
and broad-minded men Of affairs.
When we reflect that there are in
every community rich m%en-spoiled
sons of their fathers, sordid accumu-
lators, misers, shylocks--who havn't
the respected the poorest mar in
the town and are not generally held
to be worth a twentieth part as much.
money and all to the community as
men who have not a cent. but have
some human worth, I'VE begin to ap-
preciate the accuracy Of Mr.. Sahlin's
view. The public may be curious
about an Astor or a Vanderbilt be-
cause it is wonderful, after..thoasands
of years Of practice, that Nby the
mere fact Of being born into the
world a person should come into the
possession of immense sums of money
which'he does not and can not earn.
Buo when you find a rich man who
is admired, who has thousands of
friends and followers, the chances are
that he lisa man OF ability. even Of
genius. He is admired not so. m NC
for his actual possession Of money as
for the masterful qualities that have
won him money. He himself is no
money counter. He enjoys his mon
ey to be sure, and takes great salts
faction in the added power it gives
him, but his chief satisfaction in
life is to be found in the exercise of
the talent Oh genus that made him
rich, whether it be invention, execu-
tive ability, foresight general mental
acuteness or extraordinary energy
Minneapolis Tribune.