Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-17
BY Bishop w. A.Candler

that, II there SHOULD NC "iNAAoA avn
from our banks an amount equal to
the combined resources of the
Bank of England. the Bank or
France, the Bank of Spain, the Bank
Of Sweden, the National Bank OF
Switzerland and the Imperial Bank
of Japan, our deposits in the Unit
ed States would still be as great as
they were three years ago.
Who can conceive of this vast in
crease of wealth which has come to the
ration during the short space of the
last three years? 1t has been period
which some have called "a period or
financial depression" If such sudden
and immense wealth has come In pc
Rod of depression" what will come
to the nation during the next three
years? What will come with the pres
ent price Of cotton, and corn crop
such as is now being gathered In Geor-
pia?
But great wealth suddenly acquired
is always perilous TO both individuals
and nations 1t makes them dizzy with
prosperity and dangerous with SELL
INDULGENCE. Under such conditions men
grow vain-glorious, selfish, and sordld'
They acquire power which they know
not how to use wisely.
The comptroller of the currency,
therefore did we'll when, after stating
the staggering volume of the nation
wealth. he proceeded to speak words of
solemn warning to the men who com
posed the body before him.
e quoted with telling effect the
words of the English Litany: I'm
all times Of our adversely. in all
times of prosperity, in the hour OF
death and in the day of judgment,
Good Lord, deliver u.s." He re-
minded the bankers of the nation
that the dangers of prosperity are
as deadly as those of adversely.
death and judgment. He argued
that the nation could fulfill the
Hottest and noblest conceptions or
the centuries" only as we put the
souls of people in the use and APP
pIication "of our Astounding
wealth"
This is not a preacher who was ad-
dressing the bankers; it was a man OF
great ability in the world of finance
and with wide experience in dealing
with men and things. His words should
challenge the attention OF men of the
world, to say nothing of Christian men
who are involved and imperIled with the
possession of increasing wealth. All
classes of our people should give heed
to what this strong man tells the imam
cial leaders of the nation. There is no
possible Disgusting or eXaggerating the
perilous period of prosperity in which
we are living.
Commenting upon this timely address
of the Comptroller of the Currency, one
of the greatest papers in the south
says:
1.-THE test of prosperity is the supreme
test in the life both of the individual
and the nation. If adversely has slain
its thousands, prosperity has slain It's
tens of thousands. The peril of America
in the hour of her prosperity is vastly
more serious than that OF Europe In
the hour of her adversely. More deadly
than the peril of death and Judgment is
the peril of material prosperity.
Jesus never seemed so serious as
when warning against the peril OF
wealth. No trickery is so subtle as the
into believing that their wealth is their
own. They mistake stewardship for
ownership They mistake tenantry for
proprietorship. Mere agents they inn
agine that they are proprietors. They
ask, Shall 1 not do what l will with
mine OWN"
Wealth tricks men into a false
feeling of security, Soul, thou hast
much goods laid up for many years"
is the cry of the foolish rich. Money
tricks men into believing that they
can satisfy their souls with material
things Take thine ease, eat, drink
and be merry" are the words of the
complacent rich. Money eliminates
God from life's program and hui
manity from Hfes plan. Egotism,
sensualism, and /commercialism
characterize all who trust in their
riches The most deadly peril in
the life of any man, therefore, or of
any nation, is the hour of material
prosperity And it argues well for
our future as a people when men
like our Comptroller of the Curren-
cy dare to tell us so.'
1t does argue we'll for the future
of our people, when men like the Comp
troller of the Currency warn us in such
wise and solemn words. But such
speeches will amount to nothing in the
present, or in the future, if our people
pay no heed to them.
The men of the South especially need
to lay to heart the warnings of this
notable address. They have acquired
the habit of considering themselves
poor, and they have continued to hold
this notion long after their poverty has
passed away. The South is rich, and
growing richer with alarming swift
ness. In the matter OF wealth. our peo-
pie are little behind the people of the
North and West, and they cannot now
be long in overtaking them.
But it is the simple truth that the
South is far behind other sections in the
matter Of the benevolent use OF wealth.
Our prosperity far exceeds our philan'
thropy.
In the matter of we'll endowed edu-
cational institutions especially we are
very far behind.
One university alone in New York
has more property than have all the
colleges and universities in the
south.
Massachusetts, has an ar,cs of about
5000 square miles and Population
of about 100000. Georgia has an
area of tbout $4,000 square miles
and a population of nearly 100000.
Yet Massachusetts, alone has more in
vested in colleges and Universities
than have all the southern states.
These facts should stir the soul Of
every man, woman. and child in the
south. These humiliating conditions
should be remedied, and that speedily