The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1911-09-01
Money


Since the dawn Of preaching / ws
preachers have been threatening rich
men with our right nst-and extend
ing to them our left palm II n hard
~ to be wondered 1t that we md dit
ficulty in being taken seriously.
And our advice has been so confue-
ing that we have not had much effect
For now we exhort the youth to all
the virtues. giving az m fnducement
the assurance that thus they will be
enabled to get on: and now again we
turn to those that have gotten on and
warn them OF the danger OF riches. II
might as well be asked. II riches be
dangerous. why acquire them; and II
virtues lead to riches. are they really
worth cuitivating?
IL may be well, therefore, to set
down a few common sense facts In re
riches and the relation of the same to
the moral values.
In the first place. money 10 simply
the token or sign of our common hum
An wants. 1t means power. power
over others. power to make our per-
sonaiity felt No wonder We Want H.
a curse. II ties the hands. II binds
the mind 1t narrows the soul. One
who has to sweat ten hours a 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
a chance to grow; without IL We are
stunted
Money, therefore. is simply concen
trated-we might say canned-human
value
1t naturally follows that II is good
or bad. never of itself. but only as Civ
ing opportunity to its possessor. Here
then, we have the moral gist of the
whole matter: money is simply-op
portunity.
1t unlocks the door and bids the
cramped and chatting passion go and
do its will. 1t liberates desire. Hence
ii simply emphasizes a man. II he Is
good he can now be better. having
more scope; II bad he can. and prob
ably will, be worse. If idle and use
less. he becomes a living fountain oil
idleness and uselessness. poisoning
others.
So, money is like any other gift: al
beauty. which adds power to the per
son; or genius. which multiplies the
efficiency of the mind and hand: OF
position. for kinship magnifies a com
mon man to heroic proportions. in his
influence on other men.
Now, the sole relation of morals u
power of any kind is this: that tho
moral sense adds to power-responsi
tility.
The root of any genuine moral feel
ing is altruism. Given any desire. I
becomes moral as II takes a direction
toward the welfare of other people
IT is immoral exactly in proportion al
it disregards others and looks only t.
self.
Wicked people. therefore. are thos'
who live. think, and do for self alone
and that whether poor or rich. Who
ever says, II would like to be rich
for I could do 20 much good with M
money" should examine himself ant
ask what good he is doing with thu
little he has. It's all a matter of re
lation. If one is not helpful and lib
eral on $40 a month. he would not b.
so on $4,000 a month.
In the ultimate realm OF moral
there are no commandments: there &
only one test-do l live for myself o
for others: am / dtruistic or egocen
trio.
The dawdling smart set. fittin,
from bridge to matinee, from theate
to bedizened restaurant. from the clul
TO the horse race. are wicked: but NJ
wickeder than the better poor VIII
want to lead such a life. and VIII
curse their lot because their selfish
ness is bound and chained.
To the real man, therefore. richie
means nothing at all, as to his char
acter; II simply means an opening 4
give vent to his character. And
clear-eyed soul. that sees and realiz>
what responsibility means. is neve
eager for power and opportunity. II I
| easier to be good In moderate mean
! than in riches for the principal reasol
that II is easier to bear a small thai
a great load of responsibility. 1T 1
hard for a rich man to enter the king
dom of heaven" just because a ricl
man to be moral must be great And
unfortunately. great souls are scare
among great fortunes
The greatness of Jesus was not 4
his wisdom. magnetism. nor ethica
perception. but in the fact that he wa
utterly altruistic: that is. he used al
his powers not to advance himself bu
to help others. His tormentors ur
Willingly told the truth. and stated ur
knowingly his very secret. when. as b
hung on the cross. they wagged thei
heads at him and cried:
He saved others; himself he car
not savei"