Evening journal., 1905-05-09
CRITICISM OF THE RICH
Their Duty to Society as Viewed
by Rockefeller's Pastor.
WHY he DEPLoRBs GLASS HATRED

fore God and That Possession of
Wealth Is Not n Crime - Danger
Shown In HeartIess seInshness of
Many Moneyed FamiIies-says Too
Much Is Made of Pleasure.
Rev. Dr. Charles A. Eaton, pastor Of
the Euclid Avenue Baptist church in
Cleveland, O., at which John d. Rookie
feller worships, recently accepted the
Invitation Of the New York World to
speak about the rich of America" He
said.
America is the land Of great for
tunes, created for the most part by
men Of brains and character who have
seized the unparalleled industrial op-
portunltIes Of the past half century
and who have, while making money for
themselves. largely increased the total
wealth and well being Of the nation.
"Side by side with the growth Of
wealth poverty has lifted its grim
front into dark and SOLDERING contrast.
Labor has instfnctively and necessa-
rily organized itself to counterbalance
corporate capital These two great
forces are still at war. but eventually
they will have to cooperate. Our cities
have grown so fast and their racial
diversity is so great that, although we
have a true city civilization, we have
no public morality or public opinion
powerful enough to save us from the
civil corruption which is at once our
shame and menace. In the mad race
for money, which has spread like a
deadly disease among all classes, our
political machinery has so often de-
generated into the means OF advancing
private and class interests that faith
Ia or institutions and the men who
work them Is on the wane. We have
passed the constitutional or political
stage Of our history and are now so
completely in the age Of economics that
literature. art. government and even
religion have for the moment dropped
to a secondary place There is serious
question If American civilization today
has a moral and spiritual basis suffi-
cient for its future.
amid such conditions as these what
has the country the right to ask Of its
rlch men and their children? 1t has a
rig',t to ask Of them all that it de-
mands Of any morally responsible citi-
zen--namely. that they shall fully dis
charge their obligations to aociety.
"Class preaching, like class legisla-
tion, Is always vicious. Wholesale de-
nunciation of the rich is as futile as
any other form Of slander. Moral Obli-
CATION is binding upon men as men
without regard 20 their social or eco
nomic condition. There are no class
distinctions In moral law. Whatever is
right is right for the same reason. At
The bar Of Coo wealth and poverty are
meaningless terms. The gospel Of Jesus
Is addressed TO mankind. He Is the
universal man In life, message and ex-
n hmple. He makes It hard for the rich
man to enter into the kingdom Of God,
not because there is any special wick
edness in being rich. but because riches
bring enlarged responsibilities, while at
the same time they tend 10 weaken the
nutho-ity Of spiritual sanctions Mes
sag.s dressed in the name Of Christ
to .ch are equally applicable to the
Pc
pcople are like all other people
They have their own sor
70 -optations. struggles, failures
nccCs. There are among them men and
women whose simplicity Of life and un
selfish public service cannot be ques
toned or improved upon. There are
many rich families whose home life is
as beautiful. simple and unostentatiou'
as any to be found. There are many
young men and women. children OF
great wealth, who daily and hourly
give 10 the world an example OF sell
sacrifice for others which is most reas
suring. In the nature Of the case it Il
no crime to be rich. any more than It I!
a crime to be poor.
IF the possession of wealth is I
crime, then we are a nation Of Grim
inaIs, for practically every American
man Is doing his best TO get rich. AS
class the rich are probably misrepre
sented by the press more persistent,
than any other unless Il be politicians
The public attitude toward them swing
between shrieking slander and an ad
ulation as disgusting as 1t is absurd
y This. added TO the envy evoked by sue
cess, the appalling contrasts betweel
the life of the rich and that Of tn
poor IN our cities, the grotesque ant
heartless selfishness Of many moneys
families and the increasing lawlessnes
Of the American character among al
Glasses, constitutes a situation as dift
cult as 1t is dangerous.
';t is a serious handicap to be boz
rich, for then the necessity for strut
gle IS eliminated, and man. Ike nature
advances only by struggle. The chii
Of wealth lives In an unreal world ar
is In danger OF becoming degenerate
mentally, morally and physically ,
luxury. AS a rule. he grows up to mil
understand his age This is largel
the fault OF bis parents, who hin
more Of vulgar display than Of trail
ing the spirit Of their offspring In n'
BILE living and serving All progress
primarily a matter OF morals, and IA
/, progressive society a boy must be be
. TER than his father to be as good q
bis father.
mo one can deny that many OF OF
rich men and women prove by the
splendid philanthropies and publ
services that they fully recognize the
obligations and faithfully Try to al
charge them, but as 4 class the rie
n America make a very painful in