The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-07-09
sENEFIcENcE OF WEALTH.

: The disposition to criticise men OF
wealth is too common. In the great
majority of cases 1t is only the dis
gruntled tribute which envy pays to
success. Large property interests are
not always held up by grasping money
bags. The millionaire is not invariably
a miser whose single talent, or whose
sole thought in life is expressed in the
one word-accumulation.
While the Russell Sages and the
Hetty Greens are distinct types, they
do not furnish by any means the only
models
Nor can it be said that the pleasure
going and ease-loving contingent which
make up the So o-called ranks of SWELL
dom furnish the standard by which the
nations aristocracy of means is to be
judged.
The same family which bushes to
own a Princess DeSagan also produced
Helen Gould.
The worlds indebtedness to men of
wealth can not be measured in the cur
rency of the realm.
1t savors OF the very worst form of
demagogy to be ever criticising the
owners OF wealth, especially in the in
discriminate fashion which is all too
prevalent.
If money be the motive power Of CIV.
ilization, it Is the man of means who
furnishes the capital-without which
not an engine could throb or a spindle
buzz or wheel rotate. II capital with
out labor be worthless-it is equally
true that labor without capital is inert.
1t is largely to the possessors Of wealth
that the world is indebted for the finer
arts. The genius of the poet. Of the
sculptor, of the musician, of the paint
er is fostered by the patronage OF the
rich.
Florence became the Tuscan Athens
chiefly through the princely benefac-
tions Of Lorenzo. the Magnificent.
The muse of Horace was indebted to
the generous bounty of Macaenas.
But 1t is unnecessary to go beyond
the boundaries Of the present time for
Illustrations of the splendid stimulus
which the humanities of life have de-
rived from the owners OF wealth. The
twentieth century is the golden age Of
philanthropy-America the worlds
broadest arena of benevolence.
The announcement has Just been
made of Mr.. Rockefellers colossal gift
Of $SSS,00O,0oo for the furtheranoe of
the various agencies of progress.
And to this pyramidal sum must be
added the oil kings previous benefac-
tions, aggregating $120, 900.
Andrew Carnegie has literally heI+ad
the globe with free libraries. Long
ago he startled the world by announc-
ing the brand new principle that the
man who died rich died tisgraced-and
while he has already dispensed large
sums of money. it is estimated that he
still holds in trust for his fellow men
not less than s250,o0O,o00.
Last year a man by the name of John
Stewart Kennedy, who was almost
wholly unknown to the public, passed
away in New York-bequeathing the
princely sum of sso.ooo0oo to various
institutions.
Altogether the benefactions for the
year 1909 in the United States alone
reached the enormous aggreeate OF
f$1s5,o0o,O 900. .a.s
Instead of judging men of wealth hy
the worst examples--why not vary the
monotony somewhat and Judge them
now and then by the best? The drudge
OF slender purse has no monopoly of
the Ills of life. The millionaire like
wise has his cup-and the contents are
no less bitter because the chalice is
golden.
The Forum has never hesitated TO
speak a word for the poor and the