Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-11

"Why not pick out a bunch of col
legeS and endow them?"
The millionaire shook his head.
Doesn't appeal to me. somehow
Oh, of course it ought to butt just
doesn't. That's all. Maybe if | was
college man myself; but-well, |
had to dig for what education l got.
very well--charities, then. There
are numberless organizations that
He stopped abruptly at the others
uplifted hand.
"Organizations! Good heavens,
should think there were! ! tried 'em
once. | got that philanthropic bean
in my bonnet, and l gave thousands,
tens of thousands to 'em. Then /
got to wondering where the money
went"
Unexpectedly the lawyer chuckled.
you never did like to invest with
out investigating, Fulton he OBJ
served.
With only a shrug for an answer
the other plunged on.
Nov, understand. I'm not saying
that organized charity isn't all right,
and doesn't do good, of course. Meth
er am prepared to propose anything
to take its place. And maybe the two
or three dealt with were particularly
addicted to the sort of thing l OBJ
jected to. But, honestly, Ned, if you'd
lost heart and friends and money, and
were just ready to chuck the whole
shooting match, how would you like
to become a case, say, No. 1874,
ticketed and docketed and duly appor-
toned off to a six-by-nine rule of do
this and do that while dozen
spectacled eyes watched you being
cleaned up and regulated and wound
UP with key made of just so much
and no more parts and preachments
carefully weighed and labeled? How
would you like it,"
The lawyer laughed.
II know; but, my dear fellow, what
would you have? Surely, unorgan:zed
charity and promiscuous giving is
worse"
"Oh, yes, I've tried that way, too"
shrugged the other. There was a
time when every Tom, Dick and Har-
ry, with rundown shoe and ragged
coat, could count on me for a l0-spot
by just holding out his hand, no ques
tions asked. Then a serious-eyed lit
tie woman sternly told me one day
that the indiscriminate charity of a
millionaire was not only curse to
any community, but corruption to
the whole state. l believe she kindly
included the nation, as we'll, bless her!
And | thought l was doing good"
what blow--to you" There was
whimsical smile in the lawyers
eyes.
1T was" The millionaire was not
smiling. "But she was right. 1t set
me to thinking, and I began to follow
up those 10-spots-the ones that l
could trace. Jove! what mess I'd
! made of itl Oh, some Of them were
all right, of course, and | made those
ffties on the spot. But the others!
| tell you, Ned, money that isn't
earned is the most risky thing in the
world. If I'd left half those wretches
alone they'd have braced up and
helped themselves and made men Of
themselves, maybe. As it was-well,
you never can tell as to the results of
a so-called good action. From my
experience | should say they are
every whit as dangerous as the bad
ones"
The lawyer laughed outright.
But, my dear fellow, that's just
where the organized charity comes in.
Don't you see?"
"Oh, yes, know-Case No. 23,l4l!
And that's all right, of course. Relief
OF some sort is absolutely necessary.
But I'd like to see little warm SYM
pathy injected into il, some way. Give
the machine heart, say, as we'll as
hands and a head"
Then why don't you try it your
self?"
Not I" His gesture of dissent was
emphatic. 81 have tried it, in way,
and failed. That's why I'd like some
one else to tackle the job. And that
brings me right back to my original
question. I'm wondering what my
money will do, when I'm done with It.
Nd like to have one Of my own kin