The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02
CORNELIUS cRONrN.
The Man Who Gave All He Had to
the Sick and Needy.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUN--Sir.
am glad to note in THE Sun of Thursday
the manly tribute OF John q. Okeefe
TO "a real philanthropist," Cornelius f.
Cronin. who recently died at the Catho-
lie Club In your city.
Mr.. Cronin, as successful bushes
man, gave all he had to the sick and
the needy, rsJerving nothing for hlr:-
self Splendid. More than that, 1t was
Cody; II was OF the Nazarene.
Your correspondent unconsciously com
mits an error when, commenting, he
says: ''In a way Mr.. Cronn had lonely
life. but he was always cheerful" Is
this not an error? Fundamentally and
philosophically, the greatest pleasure in
to others Mr.. Cronin did 1t yea. he
did IL to the extent Of making no res
ervation for self Can a man, who has
no dependents upon him, have greater
pleasure than this?
To man differently situated, who has
family dependent upon him, he OF
course owes to that family the duty of "A
father, and beyond the circle Of his home
he owes to society the duty Of a citizen
as Christian. In Diminishing both du-
ties possibility for error Is manifest, and
frequently many conscientious man ut
terly neglects those beyond the pre-
cincts Of his home In the consideration
Of personal obligations.
We come into this world with the un-
developed gifts Of our Creator abso-
lutely poor otherwise in our own right,
and with the development of Gods gifts
conscience and the power and force Of
brain and muscle. we assemble Of Gods
green earth that which the law terms
property II may he property, perhaps
1t Is. but In the scale of things sacred
1t Is simply Of the earth. earthly 1t
never partskes OF the quality of hui
man soul. and In whatever form II re-
mains here after deaths dissolution Il
proves itself merely As the treasure box
OF lifetime. the combined results Of
Gods gifts and our own efforts, and
comprises the means put In our hands
by our Maker to prove our real concep-
tons OF the stewardship imposed upon
us by that Maker. ny their works
shall ye know them"
Call property whatever YOU like. call
II the absolute possession of the indi-
Nidual, to the utter exclusion OF all kinds
OF duties and all kinds OF rights. call ii
property In the sole. selfish sense. II YOU
Will or call II property in the Chris
tian sense Of popular practice that some
OF II is to e. out into philanthropy, or
perhaps all of It is inevitably going into
philanthropic channels, It is certain in
every case. whatever the nature Of the
property, its accumulation In this life
creates no saving grace for the next
Ana, too. In this life poverty and riches
inevitably fade into nothingness down in
the deepening shadows OF the grave
Fortunate. then. indeed is he whose
stewardship has been so perfect that he
leaves no unperformed task. no remiss
duty IN the form Of property to stand
beside his grave as the mute but only
competent witness Of what manner Of
man he was Great is the mind of man
VINO goes from this world with no tell
tale roslduum reserved for self or self
lshness, having experienced life amid
the greatest pleasures known to the
human, the knowledge of the fulness OF
Christian charity the oft repeated pleas
ure OF doing good to others for and in
behalf of Jesus Christ BosToNtAS.
Boston, Mass, April 40