Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17


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erationIand Christ weighed the soul.
He presented the subject too. with sur
passing force; no one VIII ever auu
emphasis to what He said
on one side He put the world and
all that the world can contain-ali
the wealth that one can accumulate, all
the fame to which one can aspire, ana
all the happiness that one can covet;
and on the other side he put the soul.
and asked the question that has come
ringing down the centuries: What
shall il profit man if he gain the
whole world and lose his own soul.
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Most OF the temptations that come
TO US to sell the soul come in connec-
ton with the getting of money me
Bible says The love of money IS the
root of all evil: IL | had been max
ing the statement, / think l would
have said that the love of money Is
the root of nearly all evil. But that
is probably due TO the fact that 1 am
SO conservative in thought and in
method of statement that / prefer to
leave a margin in the statement OF
prODOSitlOn.
putes il l can bring proof of more than
/ said. But the Bible says, The love
of money is the root of all evil ana
/ shall not attempt to weaken the
statement If it is d mistake at all 1t
is so slight a mistake that we need
not spend time in correcting II
And because many of our tempta-
lions come through the love of money
and the desire To obtain il, 1t is worth
while 10 consider the laws of accumula-
ton. We must all have money, We need
food and clothing and shelter. and money
is necessary for the purchase or these
things. Money is not an evil in itself
money is, in fact very useful servant
Ii is bad only when il becomes the mas
ter. and the love OF it is hurtful only be-
cause il can. and often does, crowd out
the love of nobler things.
But since we must all use money and
must in our active days store up money
for the days when our strength fails, let
us see if we can agree upon the rules
that should govern us in the accumu-
lation of the money that we need HOW
much money can a man rightfully collect
from society? Surely, there can be no
disagreement here. He cannot rightfully
collect more than he honestly earns. IL
man collect more than he honestly
earns, he collects what somebody else
has earned. and We call il stealing If a
man takes that which belongs to another.
Not only is man limited in his collec-
tons of what he honestly earns but no
honest man win desire TO collect more
than he earns.
II a man cannot rightfully collect more
than he honestly earns. it is, then, a
matter of the utmost Importance to know
how much money a man can honestly
earn. venture an answer TO this and
say that a man cannot honestly earn
more than fairly measures the service
which he renders to society. | cannot
conceive of any way of earning money
except to give to society service eauiva-
lent in value to the money collected
This is a fundamental proposition. and 1t
is important that it should be clearly
understood. for If one desires to collect
largely from society he must be pre-
pared to render large service to society.
and our schools and colleges, our
churches and all other organizations Tor
the Improvement of man have Tor one OF
their chief objects the enlargement or
the capacity for service.
But | need not dwell upon this. because
i'm this country more than anywhere else
in the world we appreciate the dignity
Of labor and understand that 1t Is hon.
orable to serve. And yet there is room
for improv ement for all over our land
there are scattered here and there, young
men and young wonderland even par
ents-who still think it is more respect
able for a young man TO spend in ldle-
ness the money some one else has earned
than to be himself a producer of wealth.
And as long as this sentiment is to be
found anywhere there Is educational work
TO be done. for public opinion VIII never
be what il ought to be until ii puts the
badge of disgrace upon the idler, no mat
ter how rich he may be- rather than upon
the man who with brain or muscle con-
tributes to the nations wealth, the ma
tons strength and the nations progress.
But we will return to the original prop
osition-that ones earnings must De
measured by the service rendered. This
is important a proposition that | beg
leave TO dwell uIon IL "A moment longer, to
ask whether il is possible to fix in dollars
and cents maximum limit TO the amount
one can earn in lifetime.
-
LIE; US begin with 100000 II we es-
innate a working life at thirty-t three
years-and 1 think this Is fair es-
timate--a man must earn a little more
than $4,000 per year for thirty-three
years TO earn 100000 IN lifetime.
take IL for granted that no one will
deny that il is possible for one 10 earn
this sum by rendering a service equal
10 il in value. What shall we say of
million dollars? Can man earn
that much? To do so he must earn
little more than $4,000 year for
thirty-three years. Is ii possible for
one to render so large a service? l be-
lteve that ii is. Well. what shall we say
of ten millions To earn that much
one must earn on an average little
more than 100000 "A year for thirty
three years. Is il possible for one 10
render a service so large as to earn so
vast sum? AT the risk OF shocking
some OF my radical friends j am going
to affirm that IL is possible. But can
one earn hundred million? Yes, be-
lieve that Ii is even possible to serve
society to such an extent as to earn a
hundred million in the span of 6. hx-
man life. or an average of $4,000, 900
a year for thirty-three years We have
one man is this country who is said to
be worth 100000. 900. To earn $500 600 :
Geo Cre must earn on an average SIS
900. eco a year for thirty-three years Is
tais within the range of human posi-
bility? l believe that 1t is.
Not only do ! believe that a man car
earn Ave hundred million, but l believe
that men have earned it. l believe that
Thomas Jefferson earned more than five
hundred millions. The service that he
rendered to the world was of such great
value that had he collected for it five
hundred millions of dollars he would not
have been overpaid. I believe that Abra
nam Lincoln earned more than five hun
cred millions. and / could go bach
through history and give you the name
of man after man who rendered a serv.
ice so large as to entitle him to collect
more than five hundred million from
society but II ! presented list contain
ing the name OF every man who, since
time began. earned such an enormous
sum. one thing would be true of all OF
them, namely. that I'm not single case
did the man collect the full amount.