The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-17

vsA1SD NJ A cOoA+
Gchange and for the chamber OF COM
merce, but there Ia an illegitimate and
vicious speculation on the stock ex-
change and the produce market which
has lured many business men to their
fall.
| 1t Is not strange that many are
charmed by the siren song Of the
stock ticker, but 1t means ruin. and
! to the extent that q man yields to
the temptation his morals are weak
ened. There is but one sure measure
| of rewards, viz: one that compensates
each In proportion as he serves So
ciety. The securing of something for
I nothing by a lucky turn of a card. or
| by q sudden change in the market
paralyzes ones purpose, and. in time,
renders him unfit for patient and per-
sistent effort. / might emphasize the
! fact that gambling In stocks and farm
products often leads to embezzlement,
larceny and suicide. for these are the
fruits of speculation when 1t becomes
disease. But I prefer to put my
argument against gambling upon the
broader ground that 1t is, In all cases.
demoralizing influence, whether the
gambler wins or loses.
Monopoly is the second commercial
temptation. Monopolies have been at
tempted ever since trading began, and
they are more common today than
ever before because more money can
be made out of them. Many we'll
meaning business men permit them
selves to be drawn into practices which
are not only indefensible In the realm
Of conscience, but which violate the
statutes. The officers OF the law are
constantly engaged in an effort to
prevent the monopolizing OF. trade.
II Is strange that any one should at
for its plan and operation can be
easily understood by any one who
knows either human nature or his
tory. No Judge would be permitted
to preside in his own case; no Juror
would be allowed to serve In a suit to
which he was a party, and yet the
head Of a monopoly arbitrarily decides
every day questions where his inter-
ests are on one side and public inter-
ests on the other. Can he be trusted
to decide impartiaily and 10 exact only
expect him to do justice to those with
whom he deals.
We need laws making private mo-
nopoly Impossible, but we must have
back of these laws a moral sentiment
which will condemn the club welded
by the monopolist, as moral sentiment
now condemns the highwayman' S
bludgeon.
The third temptation to which the
commercial man Ia subjected is the
corruption of politics. Just in proper
ton as a corporation secures mo-
nopoiy of the business In which II is
engaged. In that proportion the ne
cessity for government regulation in
I nd add the Ill ffiCTitx
of securing regulation increases in
roportion to the necessity for 1t. Mu-
nicipai corruption has become a by
word. and the lobbyist has made his
evil presence felt at the national and
State caitals. Bribery Is becoming a
fine art. and neither the voter nor his
representative Is spared. The one les
son that must be taught la that the man
who gives a bride is as wicked as the
man who accepts it am not sure
but that he Is more wicked. for the
necessities of the man who accepts
I the bribe--if need can palliate such
an ofTense-are usually greater than
those of the man who offers IT.
In the counting room as well as In
the editors library and In the law
yer's office one hears the heart
searching question: What shall 1t pro-
fit man IL he shall gain the whole
&
happiness. honor and usefulness all
hang upon the answer.
/ would not be forgiven X I failed
to apply my theme to the work of
the instructor. The purpose of edu-
cation Is not merely TO develop the
mind: It IS to prepare men and wo-
men for society's work and for citi-
zenship. The ideals of the teacher.
therefore. are Of the first Importance.
] ~ IN tNs
fiuenced by what his teacher Is as by
what the teacher says or does. The
measure of a school cannot be gath
cred from an Inspection of the ex-
animation papers; the conception of
life, which the graduate carries away
must he counted in estimating the
benefits conferred. The pecuniary
rewards OF the teacher are usually
small when compared with the re-
wards of business This may be due
In part TO our failure to properly APP
preciate the work which the teacher
does. but 1t may be partially accounted
for by the fact that the teacher de-
rives from his work a satisfaction
greater than that obtained from most
other employments.
The teacher comes Into contact
with the life OF the student and, as
our greatest JOY Is derived from the
consciousness of having benefited
others. the teacher rightly counts as
part of his compensation the con-
tinuing pleasure to be found in the
knowledge that he h projecting his
influence through future generations.
The heart plays as large part as
the head In the teachers work. be-
cause the heart Is an important factor
in every life and in the shaping OF
the destiny of the race. I fear the
plutocracy OF wealth; I respect the
aristocracy OF learning: but thank
God for the democracy OF the heart.
And yet even the teacher may fall
from his high estate and. forgetting
his immeasurable responsibility, yield
/ to the temptation TO estimate his work
by its pecuniary reward.
/ Let me turn for q moment from the
profession and the occupation Of the
I calling. am sure I shall not be ac-
cused OF departing from the truth
when l say that even those who min
lister 10 Dur spiritual wants ana. az
our religious leaders. help to fix our
standards of morality, sometimes