Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-03
LET THE SOUTH TURN ITS
INCREASING WEALTH TO
THE CAUSE OF EDUCATION

supreme good. wealth will harden his
heart and engender miserliness i'm all his
conduct.
Property, therefore, can not be held
without affecting the character of the
holder. and this is true both of nations
and individuals: for nations are nothing
more than the aggregation OF individ-
/ uals.
These times of prosperity will try the
strength of the Republic. Such times
are far more perilous TO a people than
times of hardship and struggle. We are
disposed 10 think that at this time the
greatest possible strain is falling upon
the nations OF Europe, which are engaged
I'm this awful war. and in truth very
great strain is falling upon them. But
IL is not impossible that n greater strain
Is being placed upon our social and po-
uticaI institutions. Nations do not die
under the strain and stress of war so
often as they perish under the pollut-
ing power OF luxury.
There is only one way in which we
can save ourselves from the danger
which neeets US by this tidal wave or
wealth which is flowing over our land,
and that way. is TO use the terasure'
which Providence has brought TO US, TO
serve the highest intellectual and spir-
ituaI ends.
Money is a coarse and vulgar thing
u hen il is sslfshly boarded. or selishly
wasted: but IL becomes a holy thing
VIXEN devoted to higher uses. The Scrip
lures call money filthy lucre," and this
characterization arises from the TACT
that it is used in filthy way ottenef
than otherwise. But when il is devoted
20 noble uses there is nothing hlthy
about IL. The wealth of Joseph of Ari-
Z
Lord Law after his crucihXion and from
which he arose from the dead. The
money which thus provided the sepul-
cnre OF our Saviour has yielded through
the ages a fragrance of piety sweet as
the perfume which issued from Mary's
aIabaster box of precious ointment.
But how filthy was the lucre Which
Judas received TO betray the LORD ana
bring HIM To his crucifXion for so pal
try pieces OF silver, If the coins with
which Joseph paid for the tomb had
tzen laid alonCside the coins which the
enemies of Jesus used to buy Judas,
.he keenest eye could not have discern
Ell a difference between them. The Git-
ference was not in the coins themselves,
but i'm the use made of them. some OF
them beng Glthy to utter foulness, and
others being as holy as the offerings
upon the altar.
Money is stored power. and the use of
10 which this power is devoted ue-
tcrmines whether it is good or bad: and
this use also reacts upon the user.
The opuIence of our country must
therefore. both reveal and influence the
character of our people. This opulence
t. not confined TO any one section. II
IL in all sections. The south, where
riuch poverty has prevailed since 1900
until recent years, is now more prosper
Gus than ever I'm its history. Our peo-
ME can no longer claim to be poor
They are rich and daily growing richer.
What will they do with their riches!
There is enc thing TO which our peo-
lie ought to devote as much as posi-
be. and devote il as soon as possible
Reference is intended to our educational
Institutions. In the matter of institu-
tons for higher learning \he south has
been for fifty years far behind other
sections of our country, even the new
vest In explanation Of this fact we
could urge heretofore our poverty; but
we can not make such plea longer.
We are now abundantly able 10 make
our colleges and universities as strong
financially as any in the country, ana
this we ouSht to do speedily.
Since much of the wealth which has
been flowing into the United States dur
ing the last two years has been prohts
from the sale OF goods TO the belliger-
cut nations OF Europe. and since the
4 fuca EiOnal institutions OF those lands
, ave suffered so much by the war. our
people ought TO build up educational in
~titutions ir our own country 10 onset
the loss which has come to the cause
of education in blighted lands across the
seas.
The educational center of the world
= in SUCH
is no longer the case. Along with a re-
mark BILE inflow of wealth into our
purses has been an equally remarkable
incoming of foreign students TO the Uni
led States. Their numbers now run up
into the thousands, and more students
from other lands come TO our shores ev-
cry day. Their coming affords us
vast opportunity for doing good and get
ting good. Through the education OF
these students we may bind other ma
tions 10 US with hooks of steel, and at
the same time propagate in other lands
principles of civil liberty and religious
freedom to a degree which has never
been possible to us before.
VIII not the south now strengthen its
Institutions of learning? Our section
can and should do its part of this great
work. Can we afford to appear to the
students who come TO America from
and the section of indifference to educa-
tion2
our richest people must lead In this
matter few have done so, but 1t
must be confessed that most of them
nave not yet awakened 10 the obligation
and opportunity presented by present
conditions. Most of what has been
done for our educational institutions by
Southern people has been done by men
and women OF moderate means.
In the several campaigns which have
been conducted in Atlanta on behalf of
our educational Institutions. II Is the
simple fact that the great bulk of the
contributions came from people who do
not rank with our wealthiest fellow cit
liens The richest people among Us,
with few exceptions, did not measure
up TO the amount Of their resources. I'll
is a simple fact that the names of one
half dozen rich people mark all that was
done by the wealthiest class. This was
not creditable 10 our richest people, and
il is time they used their money more
nobly than they have been accustomed
10 90. They owe it to themselves to do
this.
Not one Of the institutions of learn
ing which have been established I'm At
lanta in recent years. has sufficient