The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-12-02
'SPURNS MILLION
TO FOLLOW CHRIST
Charles Garland, Harvard Freshman
Just Married, Refuses Leg
acy From Father-Hunting
for a Job.

Buzzard's Bay, Mass, Nov. 3d.
Charles Garland, the young man who
has renounced his right to a million
dollar legacy, left him by his father,
James A. Garland, whoswas wealthy
club man and yachtsman, of Boston,
today made formal statement which,
he said, was due to the fact that the
many reports of his failure to accept
the legacy had failed properly to pre-
sent his position.
81 refuse to accept the money be-
cause it is not mine, was young Gar
lands summary of his action. "A sys-
TEN whcih starves thousands while
hundreds are stuffed, condemns itself.
A system which leaves a sick woman
helpless and offers its service to a
healthy man condemns itself. 1t is
such system that offers me million
dollars" he continued.
"It is blind to the simplest truth
known to every child, the truth that
the hungry should be fed and naked
clothed. / have had to choose be-
tween the loss of private property and
the law which is written in every
, human heart. | choose the one which
| believe to be true
Garland, who has stated that he re-
nounced his claim to the million dol
lars because he thought Christ would
have done the same, continued:
Doesn't Seek Power.
81 believe I could do no good with
= h. s5 he ylaf. rrsxr ac
food to the hungry who does good,
not the dollars given in exchange for
the fod. | would be happy to be the
man if had the food to give, but I
cannot lend myself to handling the
money that is not mine, even tho the
good that might be done is possibly
great"
Many people have written to tell
him what could be done with the mon
ey, he said. "They seem almost proud
to point out the power that ] have
in my hands, but it is the most pitt
full thing they could point to- You
cannot serve God and Mammon. So
many people ready to serve the dol
lar means so many less to serve God.
There are great opportunities to do
good, but they are in mems hearts,
not in my checkbook. A preacher in
the name of Christ said that this mil
lion should have been turned to God.
He thinks that Gods work is paid
for in dollars. Gods work will never
be done until men see that this the
ory is untrue"
Can't Find Job.
Mr. Garland's statement was made
from his home here, former inn of
stage coach days. The young man,
who is % years old, is living at the
house with his wife and infant daugh-
ter, as the guests of his mother, Mrs.
Marie Tudor Green, who supplies
them maid and keeps their larder
full. He plaps to go TO work eventual
ly, he said, but year at Harvard col
lege, which he left to get married and
preparatory schooling in this country
and in England fitted him for no work
ready at hand and he said he thought
| it would be spring before he found
anything His wife joined him in the
remuneration of the million, Garland
said. HIS mother, altho not holding
the same views, has told him to do
what he thought right.
In another house on the estate lives
James A. Garland III, a brother of
Charles Garland, who has accepted
his share of his fathers estate, made
larger by the fact that the mother of
the boys abandoned her rights in or
der to marry Frances c. Green after
the death Of her first husband. At
Harvard college is Hamilton Garland,
third son, who lacks several months
Of reaching his majority.
Another May Refuse.
His brother Charles said today that
he understood Hamilton also was con-
sidering refusal to take his share
when he became Of age. Their ideas
on the subject We're somewhat SINH
lar, he said, altho the influences of
education and environment were not
identical.
Garland indicated that his refusal
70 take the money was not based on
any question attached TO the origin
of the Garland fortune, saving he did
not know from what source it was de-
rived, but he believed it came down
from his grandfather.
MA ~ TIL NKC IyTnCE