The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-11
The Vulgar Talk About Money.

Preachers in pulpit and press, and the
President Of the United States from the
platform, have been talking of late very
much about the sacrifice of giving up
prospects Of money making in order to
serve the people in high public office.
Their text, of course, is the readiness OF
Mr. Roof in accepting the place OF Score
tary OF State at salary much less than
the amount Of money he could make in
the practise Of his profession.
Mr.. ROOSEVELT told the convention Of
teachers at Asbury Park last week that
every member Of his Cabinet could make
more money in private life, but is there
anything remarkable about that in the
history of American Cabinets7 Moreover,
in all his audience there was not one to
whom the salary OF Cabinet Office
would not seem large. Probably among
the whole number there was only one
who gets as much pay-Dr. MAXWELL,
the New York City Superintendent Of
Schools. when a great lawyer said
Dr. LYMAN ABBOTT, preaching at Co
lumbia University on Sunday, lays
down magnificent practise for paltry
salary, he is doing much to show that
there is something greater than ma
terial things; yet this "paltry salary" Of
$1,000 a year is more than nine-tenths
of the students graduated from that
school of learning will ever obtain. 1t
is far more than the average professional
income of able lawyers in New York.
1t is a salary great enough to exceed
the fondest dreams Of income which are
cherished by the vast majority Of able
and educated mon in this country.
This celebration of MIR. Roofs accept
ance of an exalted office as magnani-
nous self-sacrifce must be as intolerable
to him as it is to every other man who is
not a snob. Probably he never gave
thought to the mere pecuniary side of
the matter. If he could not afford to
take the Office in justice to his family, he
would have declined it as an obligation
of duty to those dependent on him. His
taking it is sufficient evidence that he
has no such obligation.
Self-sacriflce to take an office which
had been filled by illustrious men like
, THOMAS JEFFERSON, JOHN MARSHALL.
JAMES MONROE. HENRY CLAY, DANIEL
WEBSTER, WILLIAM L. MARCY, JERE-
MIAH S. BLACK, WILLIAM H. SEWARD,
WILLIAM NJ. EvARTs and RICHARD
OLNEY! Who OF these was applauded
simply because he gave up opportunities
for money making in private life in or
der to hold that Office Of high distinc-
ton? Why do we hear such talk now?
The chase for money was as hot in the
days OF these men as it is now. Men
were in as much haste to get rich then
as they are now. "Commercialsm" was
not less in our society. Less money
actually was then made by those sue
cessful in its pursuit, but relatively to the
standard Of expenditure it was as much.
If any one Of the Secretaries Of State We
have named had set himself to the task
Of money making he could have got an
income greater than the salary Of his
Office Why, then, do We not hear Of
the sacrifice" made by them in taking
that distinguished office?
Mr.. Root is a lawyer of consummate
ability, and as such his professional
income is large-how much, is nobody's
business except his own. 1t is private
matter purely; matter Of no great
importance except to himself. Nor
does the magnitude of his income con-
stitute measure Of his legal abilities,
and he would feel insulted if there was
such an assumption. In New York
there are lawyers whose learning in
the law is slight as compared with his,
who are not comparable with him in
strictly Intellectual superiority, yet who
make as much money as he, and even
more. He cannot enjoy being classed
with the mere money making COM
mercial lawyers, of whom there are so
mary in New York,
To praise Mr.. Roof for having higher
. ambitions is to .asult him. Of course.