Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-16
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF IT.
Why Brains and Consciences Are
Strained in Getting Millions.

From the Century.
There seems often TO be such a lack of
reasonable human motive in the actions or
men commanding large fortunes, and ma
nipulating financial enterprises and move
ments. that the curiosity of the ordinary
mortal Is aroused
This ordinary mortal Is. perhaps. engag-
ed In the common struggle of mankind to
earn his own and his family's three meals
a day, with something to the good for the
condiments of life, including his fun, fads
and altruisms, as wei as bit over for sick
ness and old age. He looks with astonish-
ment and perplexity upon the group OF Old
men who, on the crumbling brink OF the
grave. are still straining their brains
frames and cOnscicnces in the frantic ac-
emulation of unnecessary millions
One of these persistent accumulators, who
was also a congenial miser was asked once
by friend of ours why he kept on thus
unreasonably piling unneeded millions upon
millions. You can't eat them or drink
them: you have no reason to pile up more
for your heirs-why do you work hard
in your old age gathering them together"
said our friend. The old miser retorted
did you play marbles when you were a
boy?" Yes" Did you keep winning
them Yes Gould you eat them or
drink them?' No why did you do it,?
For the fun OF the game" That's why l
do it!' triumphantly cried the old fellow
that's why do it,
The fun of the game" accounts for a
good deal But there is another phase OF
the matter which continues to puzzle. How
is it that supposedly honorable mem
often men not without certain chlvalry
eySl, and who are far more from being
classed by their acquaintance as among
the depredatOrS or degenera tes-do things
in their function and capacity OF financ!ers
which shock the consciences of the average
decent citizen. Is 1t that the commend of
great amount of money. whether inherited
or acquired, has somewhat the same psy-
Geological effect upon the individual the
being born into or being taken into legal
lied drlStOcracyH Does IL set the individual
apart as belonging, as by right, to a caste,
an order, a privileged class, to such an ex-
tent that IT gets TO be thought a venial Of
Tense to stretch the laws of ethics bit I'm
the maintenance of ones position in this
caste, or TO increase ones holdings and i'm
portance therein? Has not the reader
whom we suppose to belong to the natural
order of human beings-noticed something
In the mind of the very successful business
man that sets him apart? The old saying
that the gods help those who help them
selves has often new and dangerous mean
ing In the mind of such man.
Enormous and brilliant as are his ener-
g1eS, often his success is so prodigal as TO
astonish even himself. and there soon set
ties upon his consciousness a sense of the
beneficence, to himward, of the unseen.
mysterious powers. The gods have helped
him, indeed His God has helped him. He
is this exceptionally successful person, he
belongs to this peculiar caste of the very
or the preposterously rich, by divine right"
In the division of profits why should those
be too anxiousy and ethically considered
by him who. yet, have shown no signs OF
belonging in the divine aristocraCy of world
success and earthly wealth! He under
stands, of course, that those who are in
dispensable TO this success of his must be
taken into account. But the ordinary NOR
tal-well, the ordinary mortal must take
care of himself, even though the favorlte
of the divine powers stands in the relation
TO the ordinary mortal of a sworn and con-
fidentially trusted trustee.
Well. there are signs that the ordinary
mortal is beginning to take care OF himself.
7 uould capn n No high time