The Nevada County picayune., 1911-08-25
Money
By Dr. Frank Crane


 men with our right f1st--and extend ing to them our left palm. 1t 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. It might as well be asked, if riches be dangerous. why acquire them; and if virtues lead to riches, are they really worth cultivating?
 It 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. It means power, power over others, power to make our per sonality felt. No wonder we want 1t. Again 1t means liberty. Poverty Is a curse. It ties the hands. It binds the mind. It narrows the soul. 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 gratify 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.
 It naturally follows that it is good or bad, never of itself, but only as giv- ing opportunity to Its possessor Here. then, We have the moral gist of the whole matter: money is simply-op- portunity.
 It unlocks the door and bids tho cramped and chafing passion go and do its will It liberates desire. Hence it simply emphasizes man. If he is good he can now be better, having more scope; If bad he can. and prob ably will, be worse. If idle and use less, he becomes a living fountain of idleness 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. for kinship magnif1es com mon man to heroic proportions. in his influence on other men. 1I-x ~f urc A<~ 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. 1t becomes moral as 1t takes a direction toward the welfare of other people: 1t is immoral exactly in proportion as 1t dsregards 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, T would like to be rich. for I could do so much good with my money" should examine himself and ask what good he is doing with the little he has. It's all a matter of re- lation. If one Is not helpful and lib. eral on $40 month, he would not be so on $4 ,000 month.
 Tn the ultimate realm of morals there are no commandments; there is 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 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 clear-eyed soul. that sees and realizes 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. Tt 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 fin 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 cam not save,"