Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-09-07

want. Greed has an omnfvorOuS appe-
lite. Greed Is a gluttou. Greed keeps
crying: More, more. Give me more. I
must have morer" My friend, is not
this the personal history OF your greedy
life?
Growing Rich but seInsh.
My brother. how old are your For
ty." How are you getting along In
businessf "Oh," you say, "splendijly,
splendldly! My business was never
better than now" Are you making
any money outside OF your business2
YES" you say. IT do not tell this to
everybody, but will to you. Last
week I closed one deal alone whereby
made on one piece OF land a net
profit OF $4,000" Indeedi I suppose
you einherited good deal OF money
from your father to start In business2
'Ipherited! Indeed, did not. why.
father never had anything to speak OF.
I was brought up on farm. made
my own way alone. Why. when first
came to this city my wife and used
to live in two rooms. Then I often
said to her, If the time ever comes
when we have an annual income OF
$500 and n little home OF our own
we will be satisfied" Then you laugh
to yourself and say, THANK God. we
have a good deal more than our little
home now aud 1880 a year income"
Is that so, my friend? Then l sup
pose. as your money Is increasing. you
are giving more and more to God aud
to your fellow men. 1 suppose. as your
capital enlarges. you do not grind your
clerks down to a mere pittance and
that you give them more time off for
rest. I suppose that every year. as
your financial income enlarges. your
benevoleuces enlarge also. You look
at me moment. Then you drop your
eyes as you slowly say: mo; ought to
do this, but | do not give as much now
as did twenty years ago. The strange
fact Is that financial success inevitably
encourages selfshness. The more I get
the more I want and the less give In
proportion to my success. This is a
selfish world, aud I am each year like
most rich men. becoming more and
more selfish" God pity you. o Chris
tian migrate! God pity you. i say
again. because as you grow weather
y. Il
know one fact Is true-the more you
get the less enjoyment you derive out
or your own selfish successes. HE
that loveth silver shall not be satisfied
with silver. nor be that loveth album.
dance with increase"
But L take a step further IN my sub
ject and declare that greed is an om-
nivorous demon. which 10 not satisfied
In feeding In our own pasture lands
alone. but he wants us 10 collect b..
fodder from the pastures OF our neigh
bors also This sin OF greed is like all
other sins Tt will so warp and twist
our natures that before we know Il we
will be looking at the world through
false spectacles. and our open palms
will be itching after other mems goods
And what Is worse. our covetous hands
too often will grasp those things which
belong to our neighbors. What" you
say. do you mean TO affirm that our
rich men. as a class. are thieves and
robbersf" No. will not 60 as far al
that. ] will not say that as pickpock-
cts they will grab your purse and run.
But will say this: II man will allow
the evil worm OF greed to gnaw ut his
heart long enough he may be willing.
and he often is willing, to do that
which In the sight OF man as we'll as of
God Is morally wrong. although by
mans law 1t may be legally right. Let
me illustrate this by n practical incl
dent Of everyday life.
Supposing I have n little butcher
shop upon one of the street corners of
Los Angeles. Supposing 1 am having
fourishing trade there and you hear
Of 1t and you decide to open a little
butcher shop upon the next corner.
Then, supposing l go to you and say:
MI. So-and-so. you must quit. 1 was
here upon this street first. I want nil
the butcher business Of this neighbor.
hood for myself" What would you
sayr why" you would answer. you
are fool. This is the Iand OF liberty.
One OF the great cardinal principles of
eur country Is II live and TO let live.
There IA q good butcher business here
Tor you.f and good butcher business
here for me. and we will work on op-
posite corners and support both our
families" OF course that answer IL
fair. honest and right. But, on the
other hand. supposing / come to you
and say: Mr.. So-and-so. i want you
to close out your business. want to
make all the profits OF this butcher
trade In this neighborhood" Then sup
posing you say. Il won't" Then 1 20
TO you and as a capitalist say: ..If
you do not close out will drive you
out. Then for one year upon this street
l VIII sell meat by your side for less
than cost. Then. after / have ruined
you. will put the prices OF my meat
away up and reap all the profits for
my own Golfers" What would Won
say? Is that fair competitions? Would
you call me honest? Would you call
me fair and square business rival?
In the sight of God would I not be a
robber and thief? And yet that un.
fair system OF freezing out your busI-
ness rivals Is going on all over this
iand- Greed is so gnawing at the vitals
or our rich men that it Is not with them
a doctrine OF Live and let live" but
Of xiii at any cost and then gather In
all the spoils Of the dead. XIII, kin.
knl!" Now. my friends. as you are
growing richer and richer, are you
destroying your neighbors' rights? Be-
cause your business rivals are helpless,
are yen remorseiessly driving in the
financial knife up to the hilt and draw.
ing their iife's blood and then feastins
upon the carcasses of the slain?
Upton sinciair's Exposare.
Are you one OF the Wholesale rob-
bers whom Upton Sinclair excoriates
In that terrible philippe lately pub
lished called The Jungle?" do not
know enough of the facts to say wheth-
pr no 60 ,-iol,f a., s,;s ,lo.<...-s-4. !.