The Dolores star., 1911-08-25
Money.
D. D.. Rraak Cs,ns

D. d. Rraak Ce,ns
Since the dawn Of preaching W
preachers have been threatening rich
men with our right lst-and extend
ING to them our left palm. II ID hard
y to b. wondered 1t that ws nnd dif.
nculty In being taken seriously.
And cur advice has bssn 20 confss-
ing that " have not had much eject.
For now We sxhort The youth to. ill
the virtues. giving % IN inducsmsat
the assurance that thus they Will b
enabled to get On: and now again ws
turn to those that have gotten On al
wan them Of the danger Of riches. n
might - veil b asked. II riches b
dangerous. Why acquire them: and u
virtues lead to riches. are thsy really
worth cultivatins?
It may b well. therefore. To 81
down Q few common sense facts In -
riches and the relation Of the same 70
the moral values.
In the frst place. money 10 simply
the token or sign Of our common hum
an wants. II means power. power
over others. power to make our per-
sonality felt No wonder Ne want Il.
Again II means liberty. Poverty 10
Q curse. II ties the hands. II binds
the mind II narrows the aoul. One
Who has to sweat ten hours = day for
bread has no time nor strength left
to develop the higher part Of himself.
Money means also . full life. We
can crafty our cravings. whether they
be for beer or art. for Paris gowns or
Wagner music. With money We have
q chance to grow; without It We are
stunted.
Money. therefore, is simply concen-
trated-we might say canned-human
value.
It naturally follows that It is good
or bad. never of itself. but only AZ CIV
ing opportunity to its possessor. Here.
then, We have the moral gist Of the
whole matter: money IL simply-op-
portunity.
II unlocks the door and bids the
cramped and channs passion 60 and
do its will. II nberates desire. Hence
It simply emphasizes . man. n he 10
good he can now be better. having
more scope; II bad he can. and prob
ably will. be worse. II idle and use
less. he becomes . living fountain Of
idlsness and uselessness. poisoning
others.
So, money 10 like any other gift: as
beauty. which adds power to the per
son: or genius. which multiplies the
efficiency Of the mind and hand; or
position. for kinship masnines . COM
mon man to heroic proportions. In his
influence on other men.
Now. the sole relation of morals to
power Of any kind ID this: that the
moral sense adds to power--responsi-
bility.
The root Of any genuine moral feel
ing IL altruism. Given any desire. It
becomes moral a. It takes q direction
toward the welfare OF other people:
II 10 immoral exactly In proportion 40
II disregards others and looks only to
self
Wicked people. therefore. are those
who live. think. and do for self alone:
and that whether poor or rich. Who
ever says. Il would like to be rich,
for could do % much good with my
money" should examine himself and
ask what good he 10 doing with the
little he has. It's all a matter Of re-
lation. II one 10 not helpful and lib
eral on $40 . month. he would not be
30 on $4,000 . month.
In the ultimate realm of morals
there are no commandments: there 10
only one test-do live for myself or
for others: am I altruistic or egocen-
trio.
The dawdling smart set. fitting
from bridge to matinee. from theater
to bedisened restaurant. from the club
to the horse race. are wicked: but NO
wickeder than the better poor who
want to lead such 4 life. and who
curse their lot because their selfish.
ness 10 bound and chained.
To the real man. therefore, riches
means nothing At all. m to bis char.
acter: II simply means an opening to
give vent to his character. And q
ciear.eyed soul. that sees and realizes
what responsibility means. 10 never
eager for power and opportunity. Il 10
easier to BE- good In moderate means
than In riches for the principal reason
that II 10 easier to bear q small than
. great load Of responsibility. TT 10
~. - 49, IA