The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-08-04
SUCCESS THAT DOES NOT SATISFY.

ing. He has obtained in full mea-
sure what is called success, has ac-
cumulated a great fortune, and is
able to procure all that is essential to
the most luxurious living. Still he
is not satisfied, and on glancing back
over his long career he is inclined
to regard it as a failure. He de-
clares that modern financial success is
about as satisfying to the conscience
as the Ben Davis apple to the palates
1t is attractive to look upon, but inside
is gall and wormwood. Jacob, the
Hebrew patriarch and founder of the
race of Israel, was forced to make
an equally humiliating confession at
the end of a long life, lasting one
hundred and thirty odd years.
Few and evil have the days of the
years of my life been," he confessed
to Pharaoh when he went to reside
in the land of Egypt. And yet, as
usually viewed, Jacobs career was
one to be envied and initiated. All
of his main plans had worked out
one of our modern slang expressions,
things had come his way. He had
reared large family, accumulated
property, and had been specially sin
gled out and favored by his God.
Yet we have his own words for it
that his life was sad failure.
The rich New Yorker came up to
the great city many years ago an
orphaned boy from the farm, as poor
as poor could be. He soon obtained
employment, bettered his position
from year to year, became partner,
then head of the concern, made for
tune-a large one-and is now re-
tired. That's the whole story, but
he confesses now in published let
ter that he is ashamed of it all. In
his business transactions he was con-
tent to do things simply because
others were doing them, because it
was the custom. But he forgot the
first essential of manhood and moral
ity. He forgot that there was such
thing as a square deal. If he could
get the better of an associate or a
customer or an employe, he did.
Anything he could do to attain sue
cess was good business, and he did
it. It is true that he occasionally
gave to charity, headed subscrip-
ticns and posed as philanthropist.
But these things did not satisfy.
The man felt, and knew, that what
he had done was not manly. When
he meets other so-called successful
men, looks them in the face and
studies them, he feels that they, too,
when they think at all, think as he
does.
It is sad story, sad beyond meas
ure, that this man tells. He de-
clares bitterly that the kind of sue
cess he has achieved is rank failure.
It has made this country rich; it
has made this country great; but it
has made its people selfish and un-
principled. He sums it all up in
words more bitter than the bitter
ness of death itself: II would give
all I possess tonight if I could say !
have given every one square deal ;
I have done no man wrong" Un-
happily there are many others like
this millionaire, though they have
not confessed publicly. The recent
raids on graft and drastic exposures
OF derelictions in high places have
uncovered many ghastly skeletons.
There is senator dying of mortihca-
ton in a New York sanatorium.
There is a great insurance company
president in an untimely grave be-
cause his sins found him out. There
are millionaires in constant hiding
from the writs of the courts. Power
full railroad magnates are trembling
as the investigation searchlight i:
turned their way. The men manag
ing the richest and most prosperou.
corporation in the world have beer
shown to be merely an aggregation
of criminal conspirators, doing
systematically for money all thos'
things which heretofore were sup
posed to be confined to organization
of thieves.
The rich New Yorker, being retir
ed now, has time to think, and hi
thoughts make bad companions
He is wondering after all whether i
would not have been better for hin
to remain on the farm. He woult
not have made a fortune, perhap
would have continued poor, but b
could have obtained some thing
which all. his money now can no
procure. He would have enjoyed
robust health, and money can no
buy that. He would have slept II
contentment, and money can not Blu.
that. Above all, he would enjo.
that most precious of all possessions
good conscience, and money can nc
buy that. He would not in his oil
age be suffering the untold agonie
of remorse and self-reproach, freedom
from which can not be purchased b,
money. Had he grown up on tn
farm he would now perhaps hav
only a few acres of land, some liv
stock and little home on the hill
But foul bats would not be hyin
through his recollections and re
preaching him at every turn. Wha
he had would be honestly his, a
earned by labor, none obtained b
trickery and cheating, none stole
from widows and orphans, none sc
cured by sharp dealing. He woul
not have great fortunes to leave b
children, but something far better i
the shape of good character, th
respect Of his neighbors and the goo
will of troops of friends. AS tt