The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-06-21

than any other unless it be politicians.
The public attitude toward them swings
between shrieking SANDER and an ad-
ulatlon as disgusting as it is absurd.
This, added to the envy evoked by sue
cess, the appalling contrasts between
the life OF the rich and that of the
poor in our cities, the grotesQue and
heartless selfshness of many moneyed
families and the increasing lawlessness
Of the American character among all
| classes, constitutes a situation as diff
cult as it is dangerous.
ut Is serious handicap to be born
rich, for then the necessity for strug-
gle is eliminated, and man, like nature,
advances only by struggle. The child
Of wealth lives in an unreal world and
Is in danger Of becoming degenerated
mentally, morally and physically by
luxury. AS a rule, he grows up to mis-
understand his age This is largely
the fault of his parents, who think
more of vulgar display than Of train
ing the spirit of their offspring in no
BILE living and serving. All progress is
primarily matter of morals, and in
progressive society a boy must be bet
ter than his father to be as good as
his father.
mo one can deny that many of our
rich men and women prove by their
splendid philanthropies and public
services that they fully recognize their
Poft &rrv %n alt
charge them, but as a class the rich
In America make a very painful i'm
preston upon earnest minded people.
Their contribution to the higher life
of their time and country is meager and
trivial to the last degree. They make
too much of pleasure The young men
as a rule refrain from taking their
place OF leadership in politics. The
affairs of their cities are left in the
hands Of underlings. Only occasional
~ does the rich young man in America
sound a call to his fellows of noble
service The fashionable set weary
themselves to create in the public mind
the impression that they are of differ
ent clay, when they are simply brilliant
parasites living on money accumulated
by other mems brains and depending
for safety on religion and morals in
herited from a pious ancestry or Dor
rowed from their less wealthy neigh
bors. The sons of wealth ought to
turn away from all vulgar display. So
cial functions costing vast sums of
money within the sight of the black
nightmare of city slums are worse than
fOlly-they are q crime.
Power without due sense of duty is
as dangerous as dynamite in the hands
Of lunatic. Money means power, and
power of any kind involves solemn
moral obligations. The man who is
free from struggle on his own account
ought to struggle for others. No more
deadly danger can confront a people
than increase Of wealth coupled with
relative decrease of moral quality. 1t
is like taking from children their dolls
and tops and giving them Calling guns
and torpedoes for playthings. Where
the rich show earneStness and sObriety
of character and genuine sense of OBJ
legation to their fellows they become
of peace and progress. Where
they squander their money with wild
upon their whims and pas
sions they kindle the fame Of envy,
distrust, fear and hate and disturb the
stability of society, which depends up
on the mental good will Of all classes.
ut is time for the sons of wealth In
America to be recalled TO their real
duty and their supreme opportunity.
They have sufficient examples in their
own ranks to show the way to this
higher life. let them lay aside their
costly instruments Of pleasure and
hectic excitement and let them expert
ence the exultant Joy Of service. In
stead of sapping by their example the
moral life of the land let them begin
to make some real contribution to the
spiritual resources of their time and
country. Let them get their feet on the
ground among folks, take up their po-
litical duties, strike hands with the
men of brain and Drawn who are doing
things and so help to keep the soul in
man from being crushed beneath the
ashes of materialism. Till then, and
not till then, shall be hushed that bode-
full cry of social hate which, like the
sobbing of the winds across a win
ter sea, startles with it's note OF dan
ger.
How is America to fulfill her high
destiny If those who ought to be her
princely leaders behave like ground |
lings? Mazzini cried to the young no |
blemen OF Italy, Come and suffer" and !
their response added new and sub
lime chapter to the story of human
progress. Hungary had her Kossut1.
Germany her Bismarck, England her
Gladstone and her Shaftesbury. We |
have had a Lincoln from among the |
peasants and a Roosevelt Of gentle
birth, but both by the sheer might OF |
their noble manhood have won for