Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-09-07

Inc society OF the average rich man
is not worth seeking. He cares ior
nothing but himself. He becomes
a selfish egotist and takes interest in
nothing but such as minister to his
vanity. He has no love for literature
or art, except as they cost immense
sums, such as the poor are unable to
buy, and then, he contemplates them,
not for their merit, but for what they
bring in the market or what they cost
him. The result of it is that he is
like scorpion ringed with fire. He
lives in an atmosphere of hate and
envy and tale-bearing and gossip.
Bookwalter, the great Democratic
politician OF Ohio, told C. w. Con.
stantine, who has been his private
secretary for years. there was not q
single one of his friends who had not
tried to make capital out OF their re.
lationship with him, and that his sole
pleasure of late years was to thwart
them. What confession this is for
man to make at the close of q long,
active, and in q worldly view, emf
nently successful life. To have toiled
and built up an enormous fortune and
then to feel that every acquaintance
is secretly carrying around a knife
and waiting for a chance to carve a
portion OF his anatomy is certainly not
q cheerful condition of mind, and yet,
this is one OF the perils of politics and
wealth.
Take a case nearer home-John
Riplinger, of Seattle. During the last
city election in Seattle he was candi.
date for Mayor on the Republican
ticket. He was defeated by Mr.. w. N.
Moore, the present Mayor, who run
on the Municipal Ownership platform.
Prior to Riplinger's nomination for
Mayor of Seattle, he was for four years
Comptroller of that city, owned bis
own home and was in comfortable
circumstances. After being defeated
at the polls he sank from view in a
short time. He, according to bis own
wife's story, published in a Queen City
paper recently, was entreated by so.
called friends to make the race for
Mayor. He listened to them. "They,"
l quote from the newspaper, "held
out glitteriug-not golden-promise
OF future glory and prestige in politics.
More than all else, they made him
believe that he was doing something
for his friends and for his party. It
Was hard and nasty fight. Worst
OF all, when the day of the election
came, some OF the very men who had
urged Riplinger against his will to
make the race for Mayor, went out for
a holiday-or worse. He left Seattle
with q broken heart and in poor
health. The men who urged him for
two years or more to make the race for
Mayor, threw him down. They be-
trayed him. They used him. I know
he had friends here-men who said
they we're his friends. But when the
time came and he needed them, they
were not his friends. They used him,
1 say"
Continuing, the article in the Se-
attle paper reads: "Away up in q
mountain retreat in Old Mexico. John
Riplinger, who in his strength and
love of outdoor life used to follow his
settlers in the chase for quail and
pheasant, is weakly but bravely strug-
Cling to get on his feet. No one here
save his wife knows his exact condi.
tion, and she will not tell. Infrequent-
ly letters come from him, and from
those around him. Mrs. Riplinger
says he is in good hands and. though
not making rapid progress. will proba.
bly, recover"
Friends! Friends! A man has many
uaintances" in this old world, but
bis friends are few indeed.
What q fight old Russell Sage had
oil his days to keep his money, and
even now his relatives. whom he
despised during his lifetime, are get
ting ready to contest his will in the
courts. They have already found q
flaw in the date, which is said is suf.
icient to break it, 90 that the very
last efforts which he made to protect
his wife in the enjoyment Of the prop.
erty will come to naught, very proba.
bly,. And yet, this is the sort of thing
that people sigh for, fight for, work for
and are willing to die for. Money is
not worth the price that men pay for
it. II brings neither pleasure, comfort,
enjoyment nor ease, when it is reached
at this cost. That which comes as the
result of prudence, economy, strict
attention to business, industry and
frugality, and is retained by the exer.
else of the same virtues, brings peace
in its train, but otherwise, when it is
a continual strain and fret and fever
to attain, and an equal effort to hold,
the end is annoyance, loss of liberty,
so that in the end q man becomes
! slave to his bank account, and that
which should bring him enjoyment is
like Dead Sea apple, pleasant to the
sight, but within full OF ashes and
dust and bitterness.
What fools these mortals be to do
that which only brings them trouble.
II is inconceivable that with oil the
examples in the way, people can be so
short. t.sighted as to do those things