The Washington herald., 1910-01-02
Two Bankers and Reporter
Discuss Question.
THEY HOPELEsSLY DISAGREE
Newspaper Man Holds that Mere Ac-
cumuIation of Wealth Is Compare
lively Easy-Bankers Declare that
with 1t the Keys to Power Are in
Hand-Question Unsettled.
By j. CLINTON RANSOM.


while human nature remains what it is.
In these commercial days Il would seem
that the number increases of those who
regard the possession OF wealth or the
power which il brings or what money will
buy as the best thing 10 be attained Be
tween those dazzled by the extravaganza
Of the rich and those entranced by the
power of the millionaire. nine out of ten
men keep the one thing in view and strug-
gle for its attainment-the accumulation
OF money.
Most of the phases OF this controversy
were Illustrated in an animated CONVEX
satiOn which took place about the table
al a bankers supper in this city about
three years ago. The argument was be-
tween two bankers and a newspaper
man. One OF the bankers is now in SER
vice, one has retired, and the newspaper
man Is in harness. holding to the funda-
mental truths he fought for that night
A Successful American.
One of the bankers. pointing to a prom
inent business man seated at another ia
bic. spoke of him as being the ideal type
of a successful American. He had come
up from a laborer at a trade through the
work of contractor to a capitalist. and
finally 10 the presidency of a financial
institution. II was said of him that he
earned and accumulated by investment
every dollar of a large fortune then rep
resented in the stock of the bank over
which he had control, and in real estate
about the city
1t was said that this man had little
learning. as instruction in schools is
termed, and that his tastes were very
simple. He had never Travelled, had never
given attention much to extraneous mat
ters, but had gone on year in and year
out IN pursuit of the one thing-winning
3 fortune He had won it and was then
financial power in Washington. COM
peIling the respect and admiration OF
others engaged in like pursuits.
Takes an Opposite View.
The newspaper man took up the con-
versation at this point by saying that he
did not have a personal acquaintance
with the man referred TO. but that on
the showing presented he saw compare
lively little 10 admire in the man or his
achievements.
About the easiest thing to do" said
the newspaper man, sis 10 get rich. il
that is all a man wants Money is re-
CURED everywhere at good rates of in
terest Investments aTs safeguarded by
law in such a way that the man Of fair
Judgment cannot lose. 1t Is only a ques-
tion of beginning early in life, saving to
the point OF stern self-sacrifce. invest
ing the money reinVesting the profits.
letting enjoyments alone, sklnning the
family. and sometimes your friend, and
in middle life the man is rich To my
mind ii Is only a question of being mean
enough for any man with average ability
10 get rich, and the only reason why
more men are not wealthy is because
they are not willing 10 pay the price IN
early self-sacrifce and subsequent sor-
didness They are not willing to go this
course because il means to miss pretty
much all the joyOusness Of life and it's
many advantages which money can
never buy. I am not rich. gentlemen, but
I have had a good time in this world for
many years. am at work, in good
health, fairly contented, have seen much
of the world at its best. and I would not
swap positions with your so-called sue
cessful man for all he has or ever will
have
Banker Criticises Attitude.
The second banker then broke into the
talk, expressing his Interpretation OF
such sentiments. He declared that the
newspaper mans view Of life was es-
sentially waste. the pursuit of a good
time which always fails to land its
devotee anywhere but in the hospital,
the poOrhouse, or Jail.
mo" said he. give me the money and
the independence and power which it
represents. The rich banker may eniov
life If he will. How many Of us here
have been 10 Europe and other landso
How many Of US have given our fam
ilies the best advantage in youth and
will leave them competence when we
are gone? No; your view is wrong.
Money will buy everything worth having
in. this world, and most of these things
the poor man must lose because he. can
not buy them"
What will your money buy?" asked
the newspaper man. you can't buy even
the elements of happiness with it. You
can build big house, you can have SER
wants. equipages. you can go abroad
you can go to Florida in winter and TO
the north woods in summer, but when
you are through you have nothing except
the paid service Of men and weary haunt
which quite possibly meant nothing 10
you but a few days of change and cheap
exhilaration that you could do this while
your poorer neighbors were working at
home through the cold Of the Washing
ton winter or the heat of it's summer.
Money Can't Buy Much.
LET me say. there is not much worth
while in this world that money will buy.
You can pay for a pew in a costly
church, but you cannot begin to buy the
religious fervor Of the poor girl who
worships in the gallery. You can have
your yacht and sit grumpy and alone on
deck and never buy IN a thousand years
the enjoyment Of the poor printer who
takes his wife and little boys down the
. Potomac on night excursion, and steals
his arm about the wife in the shadow
OF the forward deck while the little fel-
lows sleep in her lap.
Yes, you can hire a man with brains
to write good things about your bank. but
you can't buy the man or his apprecia-
ton Of the literary gift with million
dollars. You can hire musician to grace
your afternoon reception, but you can't
sing. and all the money you can spend