The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-05
GIVING AWAY MONEY.
When Does the Personal Pleasure 4,
Philanthropy Cease?

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir. Ma,
who give away money have lots Of trouh,.
suiting the public. II they got their mon.,
honestly 1t Is not the public's business ho,
they give 1t. Only In case the public ha,
been robbed Of the money given away ha,
1t right to criticize.
In your paper OF to-day Theory Of Re,,l.
tuition" Ia tentatively advanced by y. L. s..
In which he asks: is 1t not possible th.,
while the accumulation of huge personal
fortunes may cause suffering IN
many In tho making. they are likely TO caus.
more good In the course OF the general evoh.
ton OF things in this country than /, tn.
money composing them had been allow.
to remain divided between many persons,"
While there Ia o force for general good /,
centralized capital that should alay all envy
and spite toward the honestly rich, 1t doe,
not always follow that the divided sum,
would not be just as effectively and NOR.
appropriately centralized. to greater resultn,
good, had they not been unfairly absorbed
by individuals. The taxpayine capacity
OF the State depends largely upon the cos,
Of living and OF doing business therein. Il
through unfair means an astute individual
or corporation succeeds In wrestling colossal
fortune from the people by raising the Coz,
Of living and conducting business. he or 1t hu
usurped and displaced the functions Of tn.
State by levying tax; and, even though
he gives away chunks Of his fortune in en-
dowments to education or hospital servic.
or public charity. he Is stll gsurpins Ii.
with It's subdivislons.. for instance. Is'i II.
greatest creator OF and wisest giver TO ~.
TENS OF education and public, charity tia,
ne To5a has c0 dare
In those fields. Would an outsider who had
stolen the tax the State might otherwi.
%h hs money than s State whose po
TO buy low and sell high is in itself honor.
s aSie trade ess IN 90 dong "s' dss.t
unfairly gains an advantage that practically
inter1eres With the rights OF another tn.
, ws ss.s ; o1 sSn s sns never pssp
s vii :ay FOR ns.aRes ia. shs late s,s G
coi ss0 or
H. :Saa ndoved
institution Of great benefit . 70 people Of small
his work or his motives, ior his money wa,
his own bE right and hls motives were lofty:
the Steel 7 Trus. may Be come BY honestly.l
There is : side to the question not touched
by y. l.. g.. but which f!i y suggested when
he sys Of :a. Ters R%ed M
the persons. from whom II has been taken,
for higher education Not unless the Stat.
levied higher ia 1es. But the giving Of tn.
fight Fight to give goes only with right OF posses.
sion. Our greatest .giver H. Mr.. Carnsris,
In giving hope he got every dollar Of 1t
without deprying any other man OF his right.
II shall be libraries or any other old thing,
and other peoples right to shut up.
wonder how q man feels when giving
would be very serious under takine. Judr.
ing by the very little the writer ever CAV.
height Of ecstasy by. the time 81 900 900 was
zone and be Incapable Of any fnr tn,d e ~
Ion ger be worth living. So. even at the ri,k
Of Its going into libraries. ! think ! would
have 10 forward the other u; ooo. 900 TO Mr.
gle and ask him to help me ont. he
being tough and inur ed to the strain.
NEW YORK. July 3. HARK CoMsTocK.