The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-02-11
MONEY AND HYPOCRISY.

In nearly all the current literature vi
money or the brutality of the CONNER
c;al aoen or the "march of materialism,
the unrestricted contempt for wealth or
riches seems to lose its force by reason OF
the lack of discrimination and restraint
The passionate pursuit of money by man
whose greed is unregulated and whose
aims are confined solely to money getting
produces a most ignoble type, but the
mere denunciation of money and riches
without qualification and without measure
produces unconsciously in the mind OF any
intelligent and observant young person
thorough disbelief in the teachings OF that
sort. because the ordinary child begins to
preceive from its earliest years that the
persons who hurl denunciations at money
are eager for it; that those who decry 1t
find it of value, and that every one wants
and must have money or the things which
money will buy.
The calowest student of world history
learns that one Of the grand distinguishing
characteristics of the nations which do not
count is that they, the people, have no
thrift and no surplus of wealth. Misery
claims the people for its own, and the
hapless population, which must contine its
whole effort to grinding toll for bare
existence, has no time and no inclination
to think OF higher activities, and no oppor-
tunity nor capacity to follow them.
A rapid glance at the history of the past
will show that civilization makes slow and
difficult progress where there is no hoard
and no means, and that the revival of
learning, the spread of culture and the
devotion to other aims than those of eating
and fighting and Selling other peoples
property by rascality and force were not
practicable in Europe until in the Renais-
sance there was money and the leisure
which it brings. This surplus of stored
wealth or money or whatever one wishes
to call the results of toll and industry is a
necessary foundation for the spread OF
charity and mercy, for the benefcent
activities of science, the cultivation of the
human intelligence, the norishment of the
arts and for the support of nearly every
manifestation Of mans work and thought
that distinguishes dark age or a back
ward and degraded country from the fair
est product of civilization in the modern
time.
The influence of money cannot be meas
ured with exactitude. 1t would be folly to
say that the richest people are the best OF
that the poorest are the worst, because the
rich may be corrupt and the poor may
possess a Spartan virtue. Some wealth
and leisure, some relief from the drudgine
for the bare sustenance of life must be
attained, however, before the people have
the right opportunity to turn their attention
to other things. Rich people and ricf
nations often abuse and neglect thei
opportunities, while nations and peoples
relatively poor, being guided and inspired
by religious fervor or thirst for glory O
ambition, may outstrip the others in thu
race.
The test is the wisdom and virtue which
direct the people and the spirit which in
spires them. Money means release from
many miseries, but though it enters largel,
into the life Of all men, there are othe
things OF infinitely higher value. In fact
the attributes and qualities which distin
guish noble nature from an ignoble on
are not measurable at all in terms of money
and cannot be compared with it. The fac
that man possesses money may offer al
advantage to him and may be comfort t
him, but the mere possession of wealth
whether he has earned it or has come by
adventitiously, does not increase his valu
as man in the slightest degree, nor doe
the lack of money impair the quality O
any man or bring the slightest reproach t
any human being, unless it may be show
that the lack is due to improvidence o
sloth or some grave fault in character.
The right teaching consists in Showing
that, though money is great convenience
yet other things are SO necessary to tn
souls health and to the satisfaction of
high minded man that a man of intelli
gence and honor will without question an
without debate pursue the higher aim an
cling to the higher possession and let tn
money go. If a man does not value none
at all he exercises no virtue in abstainin
to seek it; but if a man be convinced tina
the inevitable consequence of poverty
dependence and misery, and yet whe
the choice is offered dasniSne tho nono