Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-08-26
Ethics Of Money Making.

Il
The second problem to which I would
apply this platform Of peace is that
which relates to the accumulation Of
wealth. We cannot much longer delay
consideration of the ethics of money
making. That many of the enormous
fortunes which have been accumulated
in the last quarter of a century are
now held by men who have given to
society no adequate service in return
| for the money secured is now general
~ recognized While legislation can
and should protect the public from
predatory wealth. more effective rem
edy will be found in the cultivation Of
public opinion which will substitute
a higher ideal than the one which toll
| crates the eni oyment of unearned
gains. No man who really knows what
brotherly love is will desire to take
advantage of his neighbor. and the
conscience when not scared will adj
monish against injustice. Ny faith in
the future rests upon the belief that
Christ's teachings are being more
studied today than ever before and
|
an application Of those teachings to
the everyday life Of the world. In
former times men read that Christ
came to bring life and Immortality to
light and placed the emphasis upon
Immortality: now they are studyin,,
| Christ's relation to human life In for
mer years many thought to prepare
themselves for future bliss by life
Of seclusiOn here: now they are learn
ing that they cannot follow in the foot
steps Of the Master unless they go
about doing good Christ declared that
he came that we might have life and
| have It more abundantly. The world
is learning that Christ came not to
narrow life but to enlarge it.
But this Prince Of Peace promises
not only peace, but strength Some
have thought his teachings fit only for
the weak and the timid and unsuited
to men Of vigor. energy and ambition.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. Only the man of faith can be
coura geous. Confident that he fights
on the side of Jehovah, he doubts not
the success of his cause What mat
tiers it whether he shares in the shouts
Of triumph If every word spoken in
behalf OF truth has its influence and
| every deed done for the right weighs
in the final account. it is immateria to
the Christian whether his eyes behold
victory or whether he dies in the midst
| Of the conflict.
Only those who believe attempt the
| seemingly impossible and by attempt
ing prove that one with God can chase
a thousand and two can put ten thou
| sand to flight ! can imagine that the
early Christians who We're carried into
| the arena to make spectacle for
those more savage than the beasts
We're entreated by their doubling COM
panions not to endanger their lives.
But, knce!ing in the center of the are
ma. they prayed and sang until they
We're devoured. How helpless they
seemed. and, measured by every hui
man rule. how hopeless was their
cause! And vet within a few decades
! the power which they invoked proved
mightier than the legions of the en-
peror. and the faith in which they
died was triumphant DER all that land.
It is said that those who went to mock
at their surerings returned asking
themselves. What is it that can enter
into the heart of man and make him
die as these die?" They were greater
conquerors in their death than they
could have been had they purchased
life by surrender of their faith.
| What would have been the fate Of
the church if the early Christians had
had as little faith as many Of our
Christians now have? And on the
other hand, if the Christians of today
had the faith Of the martyrs, how long
would 1t be before the fulfillment of
the prophecy that every knee shall
bow and every tongue confess?
Our faith should be even stronger
than the faith of those who lived 1000
years ago. for we see our religion
spreading and supp!anting the philoso-
phies and creeds of the orient.
AS the Christian grows older he ap-
preciates more and more the complete
ness with which Christ fills the re-
quirements of the heart, and, grateful
for the peace which he enjoys and for
the strength which he has received,
he repeats the words of the great
scholar, Sir William Jones:
Before thy mystic altar, heavenly truth,
l kneel in manhood as 1 knclt in youth
Thus let me kneel till this dull form de-
| cay
And life's last shade be frightened by thy
| ray.