Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-10
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Recent Educational Address
by Hon. w. J. Bryan

be made most perfect?" If that an
cient sage was able to thus accurately
measure the worth of the soul, can We
excuse ignorance of its value in this
day and generation? If he was barely
convicted in that early day for teach
ing that mans immortal interests are
superior to temporal blessings, can we
forgive ourselves. or be forgiven. if we
ignore so great truth as that pre-
scented by the Nazarene?
Let me briefly enumerate some of
the ways in which this temptation ap-
proaches us. He who for truths sake
drank the deadly hemlock, had observ
ed that riches sometimes benumb the
better impulses, and he, therefore. put
riches first in the question which he
pronounced on the streets of Athens.
You will find that more of your temp
tations will come from a desire to get
rich than from any other source
How much wealth can one rightfully
acquire? AS much, be that amount
great or small, as measures the SER
vice which he renders to society. If
feels that he has been wronged if ne
| consciously acquires more than that,
| he can not escape the conviction that
he has defrauded some one, and it de-
stroys ones self respect to continue III
conscious wrong-doing
Wealth Limited to Use.
How much wealth should one de-
sire? Only so much as he can wisely
use. We need food and clothing and
shelter, but there is a limit to each.
We must have the food necessary to
strengthen the body for it's work, but
We can not go much beyond this
limit without injury to ourselves. We
need clothing, but our needs in this
respect are moderate, and one has but
a poor conception of the value of time
If he employs 1t all in changing his
raiment. We need shelter, but here,
too, we can not greatly exceed our
needs without multiplying our cares.
We need education, and yet education
is a means to an end, and in pursuing
1t, we must be mindful of the fact that
education is not to be used like an
ornament, to crafty ones vanity, but
to increase ones capacity for service
Money can be spent in travelling, and
yet travelling can be over done; unless
it results in benefit that can be com.
municated to others, it may cost more
than it is worth. One may acquire
money in order to give it to some
Icause Or institution that deserves sup.
port, but it is often better to give ones
self than to give any amount OF
money.
Man is social being. He needs the
companionship of others, and money
may enable him to meet legitimate SO
cial demands, but there is nothing
more empty than life devoted en-
tirely to social enjoyment: no invest
ment yields smaller dividend in hap
piness than years wholly consumed il
gratifying social ambition.
Let money be your servant rather
than your master. Some are strOnge
than others and can carry a. heavie
load; some can possess more none.
than others and yet remain the own
iers of their money; others with les
money may allow themselves to be
come subservient to the dollar No on,
can afford to acquire enough money
even though he acquires it honestly, :,
change the relation between tn
\ money and the man. The love O
money is still the root of all evil;
! and the man who is dominated b,
this passion is not only useless to sc
ciety, but it, in the end. contemplate
and miserable. In the parable of tn
Sewer we learn that even nineteel
hundred years ago. "the cares of thi
world and the deceitfulness of riches
choked the truth. The indictmen
stands today, and every generation