The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-10-06
THINKS ~. THINGS.

tain possession OF money! Anu
often to what end? The pursuit
Of wealth often becomes passion
in the Indulgence of which the
better things of life are lost sight
of entirely. To obtain possession
of money men toll and struggle,
often cheat. lie and worry through
years of miserable existence, over
looking all that is good in life-all
that makes for happiness. And
even when the struggle is over,
even til n, should the coveted
prize of Il lifelong struggle be the
reward of the effort = again, to
what end? The beggar-the home
less wayfarer-who scarcely knows
the intrinsic value of asssilver coin,
will answer the final summons no
more empty-handed than he who
dwells in mansion, or counts his
money by millions. OF course it
is all wrong-and still it is wrong
without which tn Q world could
scarcely exist = this money-grab-
bling, penny-chasing struggle Of
life.
If II was asked why it is that SO
many persons strive to obtain pos
session of money l would probably
answer, because of the value which
man has placed upon it. It is
coveted by some because it is the
means by which the Lecessaries OF
life may be obtained. By others
for less worthy motives. Now, it
would seem that il we could but
roll back the years and even the
centuries, during which money has
been the object of mans covetous-
ness, taking with us the knowl-
edge gained by years of experience
there might be found In money
power for good and in mans lust
for wealth a means by which this
good might benefit the entire hui
man race. 1t is easy to suppose
that a, some remote period OF ex-
istence man felt the necessity OF,
or desire for, a standard OF ex-
change of some sort; that gold,
silver and copper were chosen for
the seed from which sprung what
is known today as money; that
this money once cast into the arena
of human activities became what
| it is today and has been for ages
the ruling power OF man.
i Now and here the wisdom OF the
years asserts itself, if, foreseeing
the ultimate result. the ofiginators
of this scheme permitted the gold,
silver and copper to remain IN the
bowels of the earth and substltut-
ed instead some virtue which would
make for the betterment of the hui
man race, how different this world
might be today? To further elu-
cidate: If all had been brought
to recognize in noble character
the value which many place upon
a gold nugget and taught to strive
, as faithfully for its possession; II
, honesty and truth had been sub
stituted for silver and copper
would not tn e accumulation OF
wealth mean more than it dOes to-
. day? The need of an Inheritance
( tax. or dowry law, would then new
8 er be felt; King Midas would new
er have fallen a victim to the gold
= en- touch and the parable in which
6 we now enjoy the contrast of the
" ,.
0 rich man and the camel through
the eve OF the needle would prob
ably never have been written.
!, If money did not exist-and to
!, many of us it does not-and the
: efforts Of man were directed to-
o ward the accnm uiation of virtues
;. instead, the need of reform would
= not be felt, or even exist Then
might it truly be said, he who
, steals my purse steals trssh,'
: while the many wrongs caused to-
day by money or the lack of il
4 would be unknown. Money is Il
7 powerful factor for good if proper
9 ly employed, but to the unscrup.