The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-08-24
Money
By DR.. Frank Crane

Since the dawn OF preaching we
preachers have been threatening rich
men with our right fist-and extend
Ing 10 them our left palm It is hard
ly to be wondered at that we find DIFF
ficulty 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. II
might as well be asked. If riches be
dangerous, why acquire them; and II
virtues lead to riches, are they really
worth cultivating?
II may be we'll 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 It means power. power
over others, power to make our per.
sonality felt No wonder we want Il.
Again It means liberty Poverty is
curse. 1t ties the hands. II binds
the mind It narrows the soul One
who has to sweat ten hours a day for
RNN 10
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
chance to grow: without It we are
stunted.
Money. therefore, is simply concen.
trated-we might say canned--human
value.
II 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.
II unlocks the door and bids the
cramped and chatting passion go and
do its will II 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. II idle and use
less. he becomes a living fountain oi
idleness and uselessness, poisoning
others.
So, money is like any other gift; a'
beauty. which adds power to the per
son: or genius. which multlplles The
efficiency of the mind and hand; ol
position, for klnshlp magnfes a com
mon man to heroic proportions. in hi
influence on other men.
Now. the sole relation OF morals L
power of any kind is this: that tn,
moral sense adds to power-responsi
blllty.
The root OF any genuine moral feel
ing Is altrulsm. Given any desire. I
becomes moral as It takes direction
toward the welfare OF other people
It is immoral exactly In proportion a
II disregards others and looks only &
self.
Wicked people. therefore. are thos,
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 so much good with m!
money" should examine himself ant
ask what good he is doing with tn,
little he has. It's all q matter of re
lation. II one is not helpful and lib
eral on $40 a month. he would not b.
so on $4,000 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 theater
to bedizened restaurant. from the club
to the horse race, are wicked: but no
wickeder than the better poor who
want TO lead such a 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 TO
give vent to his character. And n
clear.eyed soul, that sees and realiz rs
what responsibility means, is never
eager for power and opportunity. It is
easier to be good in moderate means
than in riches for the principal reason
that It is easier to bear a small than
a great load Of responsibility. at is
hard for a rich man to enter the king
dom OF heaven" Just because a rich
man to be moral must be great. And,
unfortunately, great souls are scarce
among great fortunes,
The greatness of Jesus was not In
his wisdom, magnetism, nor ethical
perception, but In the fact that he was
utterly altruistic; that is. he used all
his powers not to advance himself but
TO help others. His tormentors un.
Willingly told the truth, and stated un.
knowingly his very secret, when, as he
hung on the cross. they wagged their
heads at him and cried;
He saved others; himself he can
not snVei"