The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-08-12

r + r
1t is customary when speaking of
wealth to enumerate its evils. We
all know that the inordinate, miser-
ly love of money is the tap root of the
whiskey evil, the slavery evil, the
gambling evil, the social evil, the liv-
ing for pleasure evil and the capital
and labor war evil
But when a man like John Stewart
Kennedy departs this life bestowing
from thirty to forty millions of prop
erty to a multitude of noble charities
the public beholds 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 charac-
ter and influence are evil. 1t is only
when one of the gifts of the Creator
is made a god to be worshipped that
it becomes sinful. "Ye cannot serve
Cor Worship God and mammon."
Abraham and Job were millionaires
in a time when a million was equal
to fifty millions of present values.
Solomon's wealth was beyond all COM
| putation. He asked only for wisdom,
but 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. 40 one in Bible
history is condemned because Of pos
sessing great riches, for the Lord
maketh poor and He maketh rich"
The power to acquire riches is as
much a God given gift as the power
to move men by oratory or to infiu-
ence men by love, or the power to
write like poets, philosophers, histor-
ians and scholars, or the power to re-
veal natures secrets, like Newton,
Watt, Bell, Morse and Edison. The
rich men of the past have aided in
these wonderful discoveries and shap-
ed the destinies of nations.
George Washington gave not only
himself to his country, but poured out
his gold in the hour of the Revolu-
tons needs. Stephen Girard, of Phil
adelphia, loaned large amounts to the
Republic, and with the remainder Of
his money founded a college of learn
ing for fatherless boys. Peter Cooper
has embalmed his name in the men,
ory of millions; the name of William
E. Dodge will never perish from our
annals.
We do not need to search history
for characters among the wealthy who
have been an honor to the race and q
blessing to many of their fellow be-
| 1f
tropists is increasing rapidly every
year. We could fill a whole column
with the names of munifcent givers
who make possible our churches, hos
pitals, orphan asylums, colleges, uni
versities. our travellers aid societies,
homes for the aged and infirm, our
children's aid societies, our Libraries,
museums and charity organizations.
There is no question that the crav-
ing OF all men is for brotherliness,
helpfulness. 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
capital and labor VIII cease forever.
The river of wealth is as potential
for good as for evil. Let all, there
fore, endeavor to turn this mighty
tide into the broad channels of human
needs, for everything liveth whittier
the river cometh. Then the great
ministry of wealth will not be to turn
the world into a wilderness, but the
| Wilderness into the garden of the
Lord.