The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-27
,t is on this side that wo should attack

WIG .
The term Of money has for pcndan
that Of merchandise. II there was ne
merchandise money would not exist Blu
so long as there Is merchandise thtrf
will BIO money. 1t matters little under
what form. ,rhe source of all tic abuse
Of which money has heen tAc S'igct, tn
CENTER resides in d. confusion We have
COMPOUNDED IN that term. and IN the
notion Of merchandise, objects which
do not in tho least belong to eacl other
We have wished to give mcrcenury
value toItlings Which have not, nlld
should not, have any. The ideas ut
purchase and sale have invaded provinces
where they should rightly be considered,
and justly so, as strangers, enemies,
,,surpers It is5leyitimatc that wheat,
potatoes, Wlne and stuffs should be SOLO.
and that people should buy them. It Is
perfectly natural that tho labor Of q
man should procure for him rights to
life, and that they should place IN his
hand value representing his rights.
But hero thclanalogy already ceases to
be complete. "A mans work Is not a
merchandise In the same meaning MS a
sack Of wheat or q quintal Of coal There
enter into this labor clements that we
cannot estimate In money. In short.
there IRE things which cannot be bought:
sleep, for instance; knowledge OF the
future or talent. He who offers them
may be regarded rs insane or an Inn
postor still, there nrc men who coin
money with things. they sell that which
does not belong to them, and their dupsS
pay their ilusory values In genuine coin.
And so there are also merchants of pleas
.ure, merchants OF love, merchants OF
miracles, merchants OF patriotism; and
this title of merchant, which Is so hon
orable when It represents that which
is real commercial commodity be-
comes the worst OF blights when It re-
lates to the things Of the heart, religion,
or OF tho country.
Almost everybody is in accord In find
ing shameful the traffic in ones senti-
ments, his honor, his robe Of Office, his
pen. or his mandate. Unfortunately, that
that which, as wo say resembles a.
bnnnlity moro than high moral
truth, has the utmost difficulty to
enter into practice, Traffic has NJ
caded the world Tho merchants are
stalled up to the sanctuary.-and Is by
mean not Only religious
things, but all that humanity holds sacred
and inviolatc. It is not money which,
complexities life; 1t is aour mercenary
spirit which .corrupts and adulteratcs It.
The fmercenarys spirit brings us to one
single question: III" How much will that
bring me ?'}38sss@ He resumes it all in an
axiom: with money one can procure
~ With those two principles
Of conduct n society can descend to de-
grees Of .infamy that arc impossible to
picture or to imagine.
How much Wilt bring ME? That
So Legitimate when It regards
the precautions that each one should
take to assure his subsistence by his work,
becomes terrible as soon as It over(lows
its limits and dominates all ones life:
That4tis so truethat It destroys even;
the labor which is OR breadwnner
furnish paid labor, nothing better but
If I have no other inspiration during this
labor than to- get my pay. nothing is
worse q A man who has for motive Of
action his. salary only, does poorss4W work.
What interests him is not his5work, but.
the money If he car shirt: his work
without cutting his pay be sure he will:
do it.s Mason. laborer, mechanic, he:
who does not love his labor and does
not put interest or dignity into it. Is
a bad workman. &,
Tho physician who thinks only OF his
zee is a man to whom 1t would not be
well to conlldc ones life, for what act
yates him is the desire to garnish his
purse at the expense of yours. II lit
is,5to his interest that you should suffer
Il long time. he is capable Of cnltivatfns
your ntlment instead OF restoring your
health lie who cares only for the
profit in tie instruction of children is
4 poor professor. for the profit Is fmedi-6
ocre, but his tcaching even poorer. What /
docs nlercenary journalism value? This
day when you write only for the penny.
your prose ceases to be worth even that
The ntarcr human labor touches
objects Of an elevated nature, the more
The mcrcenary spirit, IL It In tervenes. 4
and corrllpts ut. Tney are q
thousand times right who say that all
work merits a compensation, that all
non who cOnsecrate their efforts to en-
tertain life should have their place In
lie sunshine; and whatsoever does moth
ng useful does not earn his liying--ln
i word. Is but a parasite But there
S no graver social error than to reach
! point where to reap a gain becomes the 4
sole motive Of action. The b.st Of us
which VIC put into our work, let 1t be
'orce Of arms, warmth of heart. or the
.ension of intelligence, Is precisely what
10 one can pay us for. Nothing proves
more clearly that man is@notFa machine
han this fact: two men at work with (
he same strength, the same gestures,
produce results entirely different. Where
> Stle CiLtlSeH OI LlIl5 ~ 49,
divergence Of tlleIrintentions. Ono has
mcrcenaa'y splrttpand the othcra simple
soul. Both receive their pay; but the
work of one is sterile, the other has.
nut his soul Il his work. Tho work OF
he first Is like tho grain Of sand which
'enlalns to all eternity a grain Of sand
,ut of which nothing can Gomez while
he other is like the living seed thrown
o the earth: 1t germinntes and brings
There Is no other. way TO aeX-
olain why so many persons have not
while employing the same ex-s
ernal means as the others. Automatons8
10 not reproduce and the labor or
nercenary person brings forth no fruit
So "
Without doubt We ara obliged 10 bow
before tho economic facts TO recog11zes
he difficulties of life, From day to day
II becomes a more urgent question how 70
properly combine ones means Of action
10 he ablo to feed. clothe, lodge and
bring up ones family. He who uoes not
calculate and foresee is "a visionary, q
blockhead to be sooner or later obliged
= ii, IN