The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-11-03

y
tender for realities. It can, it is
true, buy semblances, substitutes and
limitations, never the genuine. In
this field of operation it can only
buy evils-never virtues. 1t is only
in the market Of material things
that it's purchasing power is felt and
these it can buy without limit. JUS
tice, the eternal principle of the true
relation of man to man, cannot be
bought. Money may buy judges
and juries, but never justice. When
they tell us that some great corpora
tion with millions in it's control has
bought justice in verdicts wrongly
delivered in its favor, they are in
correct in. their statement. Money
has bought, not justice, but injustice,
if it was mere justice that was de-
sired. Money would be unnecessary,
it would be a bribe, an insult, but
injustice is always willing to pocket
such insults. Honor, the very soul
of self-respect, is as impossible of
purchase as an eclipse.
When one blindly believes he has
bought the honor of another to do
that which both realize as an evil,
both have been cheated-the honor
was dead before it passed to the
purchaser and dead honor is dis
honor. Money has killeda virtue
it could not buy it. When homer
could seriously consider permitting
itself safe to be bought, the insideous
poison of desecration that killed it
was already coursing through its
veins. Capital is in error when it
says pompously and arrogantly, Il
can buy BRAIN" This is across the
deadline. 1t can buy only the SER
vice of brains, their output, their
product-but never the mind behind
them. Money can buy a master
piece of painting, but it cannot pur-
chase the power to put on the faintest
flesh tint, nor even the power really
to appreciate the marvellous canvas
at it's true worth. So far as the
depth, the secret, the sublime con-
ception of some ideal realized by the
artist genius, the picture may be as
meaningless to the owner as though
an inscription. 1t may be to him
merely fifty thousand dollars in a
frame. The rich man who has gen.
uine Joy in his art rtcollections receives
it from some innate kinship with the
artists imagination that no money
could buy; no love of money take
away.
A millionaire in his box for the
season at the opera, where the mag
nifcent, glorious voices Of the
sextet from Lucia, rising like incense
and swelling vibrant through the air
threaten almost to drown the silly
buzz of conversation in his ears, has
bought only the privilege of seeing
and hearing. He might envy the
quiet little man on the back seat of
the topmoast gallery who is oblivious
to his strained position and tired
muscles and is lost to the world
around him while he is feeding his
soul from the almost divine music.
Money can secure great library
of books bound in the finest levant
and harmoniously arranged in sets,
but it cannot buy the magic power
to create one single thought of some
one of these great minds reincarnated
in type which has Influenced count.
i less thousands for censuries. Money
alone could never bring the joy and
companionship from books tn
come as benediction to some stu
dent in an attic, poor in money, but
rich in intellect. He can tell the
4 greatest thinkers of the ages to
speak with him from his little man
tleshelf of classics and feel their
Joyous nearness to him as he com
prehends and responds. He is liv-
ing for his brief hour of respite in
the great democracy and brother.
hood of letters and so absorbed
that he does not heed the growing
dusk that begins to dim his eyes
This appreciation defes IN re
checkbook. The man who is ricf
may have it too, but it never came
! to him by purchase.