The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-05-04
ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH.
1t Can Only Be Done Honestly by Civ
ing Value Received.

uine moral character is honesty. Il
is a boad of social and commercial
confidence. 1t is the basis Of rea,
prosperity. We feel like po5 only en-.
dorsing the sentiment that an hon
est man is the noblest work of God,'
but also adding that an honest mar
is the bedrock and bulwark Of society
and the state.
a dishonest man is a carbuncle up
on the neck, felon upon the finger
Of the social body. He causes a sight
of irritation, trouble and inconveni'
ence:.he works confusion and loss; anc
not infrequently communicates poison
to the entire social system.
There is much complaint Of a lack
of strict honesty in the land TODAY,
and there are many evidences to sus'
tain the complaint. we can scarcely
pick up a paper without reading OF
thefts and defalcationS, and the ope-
rations Of fraudulent and swindllng
schemes, and the eXtortions Of cor
porate greed.
Coincident with the carnival Of dis.
honesty is the prevalence of the gam
bling mania, and may it not be that
these two things are somewhat related
as effect and cause?
The speculative spirit is wide
spread. 1t permeates AMI infests all
classes Of society from the lowest tc
the highest. In the lowest it finds
expression in crap shooting and the in
devices Of gambling dens. A little
higher up, as men grade society, il
finds expression in laying wager or
the ball game, and the cock fight anc
the horse race. Among the respecta.
BILE it finds expression around the care
table Of fashionable parlors and draw
ing rooms, and reaches the climax o1
expression in what is commonly known
as dealing in futures"
There are many men who wouli
not bet on a horse race OF stake none,
on game Of cards, but they will put
up money as margins on cotton con
tracts and grain futures.
Doubtless there is lawful dealing
in futures. AS things are, it is posi-
BILE that in no other way could large
dealers in these products protect
themselves against serious losses ir
certain cases in the course OF bona
fde transactions.
But for the mass of men who en-
gage in this kind of dealing, it i!
nothing but gambling. They are
protecting no legitimate interests.
they are simply and solely indulgine
the gambling spirit. Their dealing:
amount to nothing but a wager laic
upon the future price Of a product
It means that one mans gain is an
other mans loss, and it leads te
risks that are not legitimate ant
Safe.
But without arguing the question
let US consider the result. The safest
rule by which to judge Of the mora
character OF anything is the ole
one given by the Master Teacher.
'sBy their fruits ye shall know them.
What are the fruits Of dealing upon
the exchange? It saps the essentials
Of sterling manhood, honor, patient
industry and economy.
Ill can make $500 by venturiDg
slOO upon margins, why hesitate tc
risk on the venture the 500 in my
hands as trust. I can soon pay it
back, and have q nice surplus for my
self.
i'll can make $500 on the exchange
in a day or a week, OF even in a
month, why need I be plodding along
for $50 or $50 month"; And why
worry myself with stinting and econ,
omizing at every turn and living
plainly and frugally? And thus the
essentials Of noole, vigorous manhood
collapse under the touch Of the ma.
lign, transactions with their golden
anticipations.
These dealings have untitled many
man for any employment requiring
concentrated and persistent toll; they
have made thieves Of young men IN
stores and banks; they have made de-
faulters and embezzlers Of those who
have had trust funds in their keep
ing: they have brought many family
to poverty, and many a good name tc
shame and disgrace, and many a life
with bright prospects to suicide s
grave and to dark eternity.
These transactions kindie a desire
to get rich in haste, and be who
makes haste to be rich will rarely, II
ever, be honest. It will ever be true
that ''They that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare and into many
foolish and hurtful lusts." The
gambling spirit so prevalent today IN
low and high circles, in the den and
in the pit, is giant foe to honesty.
1t is subyersive Of that ancient com
mand spoken from heaven, Ihou
shalt not steal"
II you would be an honest man,
keep out. Of the Niagara rapids OF
speculation. There are deadly falls
lust ahead. You may never get rlcn,
but there is something better than
riches. This is not a popular doc
trine at this hour, but that it is be.
cause the popular vision is disordereo
and distorted. But believe me, there
is something more valuable than
money and that is unsuilied man
hood.
I do not condemn money getting.
On the contrary, I praise it. Make
all the money you can and save al
the money you can, so sou use it fol
God and humanity. There is no Vir.
tue in poverty. On the other hand
there is q fearful sacrifice Of power
and usefulness.
Put yourself down to it: make
money, but see to it that you need
clean conscience and clean hands.
Two Firemen Killed,
At New York two fireman were
killed and one mortally wounded by
the collapse Of q wall at fire in Johr