The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1911-08-25

By DR.. Frank Crane

Since the dawn of preaching we
preachers have been threatening rlch
men with our right fist-and extend
ing to them our left palm. 1t Is hard
ly to be wondered at that We hnd dill
f1culty in being taken seriously.
And our advice has been SO confus-
ing that we have not had much effect.
For now we exhort the youth TO all
the virtues, giving as an inducement |
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. 1t
might as we'll be asked, II riches be |
dangerous. why acquire them; and II |
virtues lead to riches. are they really |
worth cultivating?
1t 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 is simply |
the token or sign of our common hum
an wants. 1t means power, power
over others. power to make our per.
sonality felt. No wonder we want 1t.
Again 1t means liberty. Poverty Is
curse. 1t ties the hands. 1t binds
the mind. 1t narrows the soul. One
who has to sweat ten hours a day for
bread has no time nor strength lert
to develop the higher part of himself.
Money means also a 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 1t we are
stunted
Money. therefore. Is simply concen-
trated-we might say canned-human
value.
1t naturally follows that 1t 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 it's will. 1t liberates desire. Hence
1t simply emphasizes a man. If 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 Of
fdleness and uselessness, poisoning
others.
So, money is 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. fer kinship magnifies a COM
mon man to heroic proportions. in his
influence on other men.
Now. the sole relation of morals to
power Of any kind Is this: that the
moral sense adds to power-responsi.
bility.
The root Of any genuine moral feel.
ing is altruism. Given any desire. II
becomes moral as 1t takes a direction
toward the welfare of other people;
It is immoral exactly in proportion as
1t 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, II would like to be rich
for could do so much good with my
money" should examine himself and
ask what good ne is doing with the
little he has. It's all matter of re
laticG. II one is not helpful and lib
eral on $40 a month. he would not be
so on $4,000 a month.
In the ultimate realm OF morals
there are no commandments; there is
only one test-do / live for myself OF
for others; am / altruistic or egocen
trio
The dawdling smart set, fitting
from bridge to matinee. from theateI
to bediZened restaurant, from the club
to the horse race. are wicked; but nc
wickeder than the better poor who
want to lead such life, and who
curse their lot because their selfish
ness Is bound and chained
To the real man, therefore, riches
means nothing at all, as to his char
acter; it simply means an opening tc
give vent to his character. And &
clear-eyed soul, that sees and realiz Is
what responsibility means. is never
eager for power and opportunity. 1t is
easier to be good in moderate means
than in riches for the principal reason
that 1t is easier to bear a small thar
a great load of responsibility. ut Is
hard for q rich man to enter the king
dom OF heaven" just because a ricf
man to be moral must be great And
unfortunately, great souls are scarce
among great fortunes.
The greatness OF Jesus was not II
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 un
Willingly told the truth, and stated un
knowingly his very secret. when. as h,
hung on the cross, they wagged thei
heads at him and cried:
| He saved others; himself he can
II not saVet"