Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-01-19

naught but trickery to mystify the
credulous. Everything is labeled; all
Is for sale, from the earth to the In
habitants. These primitives have be
come the most consummate of sharp
ers. Given your money, they have re
solved the problem of getting 1t with
the least expense to themselves. On
all sides are nets and traps, Ike spider
webs, and the fly that this gentry lies
snugly in wait for Is you. This Is
what twenty or thirty years Of venali-
ty has done for population once SIM
pie and honest, whose contact was
grateful indeed to men worn by city
life. Homemade bread has disappear
ed, butter comes from the dealer, they
know to an art how to skim milk and
adulterate wine; they have all the vices
Of dwellers In cities without their vir-
tues
As you leave you count your money.
So much is wanting that you make
complaint. You are wrong. One never
pays too dear for the conviction that
there are things which money will not
buy.
You have need in your house of an
intelligent and competent servant. At
tempt to find this rara avis. According
to the principle that with money one
may get anything, you ought, as the
l1 trf
good or exceptional, to find servants
unskilled, average, excellent, superior.
But all those who present themselves
for the vacant post are listed In the
last category and are fortified with
certificates to support their preten-
sions, 1t is true that nine times out of
ten when put to the test these experts
are found totally wanting. Then why
did they engage themselves with you?
They ought in truth to reply as does
the cook in the comedy, who Is dearly
paid and proves to know nothing:
Why did you hire out as a Gordon bleu?
II was to get bigger commissions.
That Is the great affair. You will
always find people who like to get big
wages. More rarely you find capabil-
ity. And If you are looking for pro-
bity the difficulty increases. Mercena-
ries may be had for the asking; faith
fulness Is another thing. Far be 1t from
me to deny the existence Of faithful
servants, at once intelligent and up
right. But you will encounter as
many, II not more, among the Ill paid
as among those most highly salaried.
And 1t little matters where you find
them, you may be sure that they are
not faithful in their own interest; they
are faithful because they have some
what of that simplicity which renders
US capable Of self abnegation.
We also hear on all sides the adage
that money is the sinews Of war; There
Is no question but that war costs much
money, and we know something about
1t. Does this mean that In order to
defend herself against her enemies and
to honor her flag a country need only
be rich? In olden time the Greeks
took 1t upon themselves to teach the
Persians the contrary, and this lesson
will never cease to be repeated in his
tory. With money ships, cannon, horses
may be bought, but not so military
genius, administrative wisdom, disci-
pline, enthusiasm. Put millions into
the hands Of your recruiters anG
charge them to bring you great lead
er and an army. You will find a hun
dred captains instead of one, and a
thousand soldiers. But put them un-
der fire; you will have enough Of your
hirelings, At least one might imagine
that with money alone 1T Is possible to
tighten misery. All, that, too, is an IL
lusion from which we must turn away.
Money, be the sum great or small. is
seed which terminates into abuses.
Unless there 30 with 1t intelligence,
kindness, much knowledge of men, 1t
will do nothing but harm, and we run
great risk Of corrupting both those who
receive cur bounty and those charged
with its distribution.
Money will not answer for every
thing; 1t Is a power, but 1t is not all
powerful. Nothing complicates life.
demoralizes man, perverts the normal
course Of society, like the development
of venality. Wherever II reigns every
body is duped by everybody else; one
can no longer put trust in persons or
things, no longer obtain anything Of
value. We would not be detractors of
money, but this general law must be
applied to it: Everything In Its own
place. When gold. which should be
servant. becomes tyrannical power,
afrronting morality, dignity and lib
erty; when some exert themselves to
obtain 1t at any price, offering for sale
what Is not merchandise, and others,
possessing wealth, fancy that they can
purchase what no one may buy, 1t Is
time to rise against this gross and
criminal superstition and cry aloud to
the imposture, Thy money perish with
theer' The most precious things that
man possesses he has almost always
received sratuitously. Let him learn
SO to give them.
fro BE Continued