The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-04-07
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WEALTH NOT AN 7


But thou shalt remember the Lord
thy God, for it is He that giveth thee
power to get wealth.-Deut. 8:18.
1t is customary when speaking or
wealth to enumerate its evils. We all
know that the inordinate. misery love
of money is the taproot Of the whisky
evil, the slavery evil, the gambling
evil, the social evil, the living for
pleasure evil and the capital n b
war evil.
But when a man like John Stewart
Kennedy departs this life bestow1ng
from thirty to forty millions OF prop
erty to a multitude Of noble charities
the public beholds a more optimistic
side of the acquisition of riches.
Wealth itself cannot be an evil any
more than the wealth of intellect,
wealth of heart or wealth Of character
and influence are evil. 1t is only when
one of the gifts of the Creator is made
a god to be worshiped that it becomes
sinful. "Ye cannot serve Cor worship
God and Mammon." Abraham and Job
were ~millionaires in a time when ST.
OOO, 900 was equal to $50, 000 900 of
present values. Solomon's wealth was
beyond all computation. He only asked
for wisdom, out received both riches
of mind and treasure given him by the
Almighty. Zaccheus and Cornelius, two
converts of the New Testament time,
were men of large property. No n
in Bible history is condemned because
Of r4c1nc1iy,o 0roof ,,tohnc 9sfNr th0
Lord maketh poor and He maketh
rich"
The power to acquire riches is as
much a G~od-given gift as the power to.
move men by oratory or to influence
men by love or the power to write like
poets, philosophers; historians and
scholars, or the power to reveal ma
lures secrets, like Newton, Watt, Bell,
Morse and Edison. The rich men of
the past have aided in these wonderful
discoveries and shaped the destinies
of nations.
George Washington gave not only
himself for his country, but poured
u his gold in the hour of the Rev
olution's needs. Stephen Girard of
Philadelphia loaned large amounts to
the republic and with the remainder
of his money founded a college of
learning for fatherless boys. Peter
Cooper has embalmed his name in the
memory of millions; the name of Will
liam E.. Dodge will never perish from
u annals.
We do not need to search history for
characters among the wealthy who
have been an honor to the race and a
blessing to many of their fellow be-
ings. The number of living philan-
thropists is increasing rapidly every
year. We could fill a whole volume
with the names of munificent givers
who make possible our churches, hos
pitfalls, orphan asylums, colleges, uni
versities, our travellers aid societies,
homes for the aged and infirm, chill
dren's aid societies, our Libraries, mu-
seums and charity organizations. There
is no question but that the craving of
all men is for brotherliness, helpful
ness, kindness and friendliness, and
this soul hunger is being fed in a
larger degree to-day than ever before.
The rich and the poor are coming to-
gether in harmonious unity, ushering
in the day when the war between cap
ital and labor will cease forever.
The river ofwealth is as po%tentialfor
good as for evil. Let all, therefore, en-
deavor to turn this. mighty tide into
the broad channels of human need,
for everything liveth whittier the river
cometh. Then the great ministry of
wealth will not be to urn the world
into a wilderness, but the wilderness
into the garden OF the Lord.