Evening journal., 1905-04-18
RICHES NOT FOR
THEIR OWN SAKE.
Why N. o. Nelson Opposes Pill
ing Up Wealth Needlessly.
MILLIONS BRING ONLY TROUBLE.

Ut. Louis Millionaire Says Getting /
Rich Is Merely a Habit, and Bad
one at That-Teus How 1t Can BE
Overcome-Those In Middle Class,
He says, Enjoy Life Far More Than
Rich Captains OF Industry.
To the question, Need a captain of
Industry get rich?" Nelson o. Nelson, a
merchant in ST. Louis, head of the firm
that bears his name and himself a cap
tain in the millionaire class, returns an
emphatic negative
Mr.. Nelson, whose wealth has come
to him in spite of philanthropic prac-
tees and not because of them, aston
ished the natives of Chicago recently
when on that subject he told them that
getting rich was merely a habit, and
bad habit at that But Mr.. Nelson, who
has returned to his desk in St. Louis,
told the New York Worlds STAFF corre-
spondent there that the conclusion was
no new one to him and that 1t was
merely "a phrase Of his gospel of work
anu It's JUST AAA4 iiANllNA ANhAhAANA
I'VE need to do things, to act out our
beliefs, to do those things which in
theory we al recognize as right and
just" said he, and he added, That's
fact"
The latter expression Mr.. Nelson
tacks on to most of his homiletics.
my little sermon" said Mr.. Nelson,
dealt with those things of which l
knew by actual experience. We are
prone TO require authorities for every
thing we do or contemplate doing, es-
peciauy where the thing to be done
may be a departure in any line Of phi
lanthropic endeavOr. The better part
would lie to do for ourselves according
to our own ideas and our own lights.
SAIL the established systems OF reli-
gioh.law, government business. are not
carrying the world and its people along
without Individual endeayor. 1t is the
OLD truism that faith without good
wola is dead We need to do things
ourselves. to live up TO those things
which we know and believe to be right
and just and recognize as such in theO-
ry.
Il recommend the social laboratory
FOR those earnest minded students Of
the wrc4gl OF mankind and their prop
en- remedy 1t is worth a lifetime Of
speculative or theoretical study. To
see it, to be ia It, TO observe it at close
range. to live their lives day in and
day out exactly as they live them, no
better and no worse, is the only way
TO know how that other half of whom
we hear and read so much afar OF
lives. A little Of such contact will
arouse any man from the lethargy OF
mere elegant study and do nothing
ruminations on the wrongs of men and
fire him with a zeal to do things. And
then he will 10 them. That's a fact.
IF he has broken the bread that
they break. lived and slept in and paid
the prices that they pay for the mex
cusabe tenements they must accept
he will work TO the end that their loi
maybe improved, that their vile houses
mas be altered and made fit for the
existence of human beings with nat
ural rights to life and health and as
much Of happiness as it may be posi-
bic TO attain.
1T viii not be necessary to sweeI
entire blocks from their sites that new
er and more expensive ones may take
their places and be rented at a price
that viii grind the tenant down still
more But il is possible to alter Ia,
tenements and give the tenants Tho
light, the air, the sweetness and or
binary comforts that the rent they pay
entities them to.
"This may seem a digression from {
discussion of the duties of a captain
of industry, but 1t is not The du
ties of the employer and the rights o.
those who serve are connected, and
the latter win never be attained unit
the former realizes this and perform.
his duties. And so I say that what
ever may be the opinion OF those duties
one Of them Is assuredly not that o
getting rich. That's a fact He il
really a manager Of men and Of prod
ucts, and this function he exercises fol
the dual benefit Of the workers undel
him and the public. 1t is a self evi
dent fact that he is entitled to beneh
also for himself.
"Whether he knows It or not, or
knowing it, Will not recognize ii, th'
captain Of industry IS really hard
working servant Of the public. Now
isn't that higher status for him to oc
cupy than that Of being a mere selfish
ceaseless, soulless gatherer Of wealtl
for himself and for wealth's sakei Az
suredly it is, and that's d fact Ant
he Is a better public servant by ieay
ing out Of consideration the sole puI
pose Of getting rich and improving tn
quality Of the service.
ITO be rich or to have riches is not
Enthusiastically not. Many good meI
earnest men, men OF good impulse
and, what Is better. of good actions
have riches because they were thrus
upon them. But it is different TO a,
quire riches by the constant neglect 0
their duties to their fellows. An
that's why I say the acquiring Of richie
is habit, and a bad one
''If those who are in position to a,
quire riches win only realize this
VIII result in n new and better type q
captains Of industry, who win look
the attainment Of social results rattle
than to the more unreasoning accuml
lation OF a fortune
Men go on piling up wealth an
struggling for riches more throug
fhQ force of a habit acoufrad aarlv IN