Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-03-23
Calnnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae. D, D.

the few strive for what man revcr.
ences and values as priceless, vet often
filings away. and what every one
wishes to bequcath to his children Is
the subject of today's sermon. the text
chosen being Proverbs xii. 1. "a good
name is rather to be chosen than great
riches"
What Is capital? money. property
or stock employed in trade. manufac.
turc. etc. the sum invested or lent as
distinguished from the income or in
terest," is the definition given by the
photographer. 1t is wealth producing
wealth. not wealth being absorbed or
being eaten up by expenses. When
Clarence Bowen, the New York editor
and multimilionaire, was young man
he put his savings in bank for safe
keeping. When he went to draw that
money out he received certain
amount Of extra money. what is that
for?' asked the young man. This is
interest money" said the cashier. This
is money earned by money Then"
said Bowen, "if money earns money.
the more l save the more l will earn"
The money Clarence Bowen put away
in bank at interest was his capital.
But capital. according to the lexi-
cographer's definition, is not represent
cd in gold ingots or coin only. climb
with the miner a hillside in Colorado
or Nevada. He points to some rock
and says, "rhere are millions of dol
lars worth of gold buried here" why
do you not get ii out?' Because he
answers, II have no capital. must
have machinery to break the rocks;
must have miners to burrow into yon-
der depths; must have money to cart
away my ore to the smelling furnace.
Money must be had before you can
produce money"
go into a store and see at work the
busy manager Of great mercantile
firm. say to him: why are you
working for others? Why do you not
work for yourself? If you are smart
enough to manage n business for other
manage business FOR Yourself"
AYE aye" answers the manager;
that is true. But l have not the mon
ey 10 start business like this. l must
have hundreds of thousands of dollars
to sink before I can make a cent.
must buy my goods from the wholesale
dealer before l can sell them TO my
customers. l must rent store and
hire clerks and spend enormous sums
for advertising. All these OUTLAWS de-
mand large amount Of capital"
Capital represents the seed and the
land, to use an Illustration of the farm.
Income represents the harvests. The
farmer must own or hire his farm and
plant his seed before he can get his
harvests, or his income. Now, as the
farms and the miners machinery and
the merchants stock are nearly always
valued from the standpoint Of money,
1t is common custom to give these
sentences as truisms: 1T takes money
TO make money "Evcrything ami
mate as well as inanimate will bow
before the sccpter Of gold.' Midas
touch has in his hand the grip of iron. 4"
But today the author Of my text en-
phatically says: The best producing
capital man ever had in life is a good
name. 1t is better than all the silver
of the Leadville mines, than all the dia-
monds Of Golconda, than all the gold
of the Comstock bonanza, than all the
pearls of the Persian gulf. Pile up the
gold ingots of the United States treas
ury vaults on one side Of the scale
ana put good name On the other side
OF the scale. and the good name will
outweigh the gold" If good name is
such priceless treasure. let us begin
to study why its wealth is of such vast
value. Its producing capital must be
and is enormous. II it were not so,
King Solomon, up to his time the
wealtliiest az well as the wisest man
who ever lived, would not have ma.lc
this inspired statement in his book of
Proverbs.
Value of n Good Name.
A good name, in the first place. is not
pauper Her mansion is not the
poorhouse. Her wardrobe is not filled
with rags. Her family plot is not Il
potter's field AS n rule, she has a
comfortable house to live in. Her sit
ting room has glowing fireplace. Hcr
library shelves are filled with books.
"She is not afraid Of the snow for her
household, for all her household are
clothed with scarlet" 'Shc is like the
merchant ships-shc bringeth her food
from afar." "IIcr husband is known
In the gates when he stitch among tho
elders of the land" For what her
hand findeth to do she doeth with all
her might. She gathercth the rewards
Of an earnest and practical industry.
She inevitably giveth to the holder of
her family name all the necessities for
happy competency and n healthful
physical and mental existence.
You can see this fact demonstrated
in almost every department of life.
Honesty Is the best policy" whether
It Is found within church walls or
down in the busy commercial section
OF n great city. My text does not say,
"Be good, and you will be financially
poor" Oh, no! If it did. that state
mcnt would not be true. 1t would not
be true In professional life. in mer.
camille life or in domestic life. l go
to you and say: "Why is Judge So-and-
so the leader of the brilliant bar OF
one Of our great citiesY They tell me
that his practice IL worth $4,000 a
~oow 10 uovow tu,nwnccolJ ,,,o m. -. .