The Washington times., 1920-11-25
Today
Two Subjects Only.
Thankfulness and Money.
Take What Is Yours.
Use II Well.
ARTHUR BRISBANE.
(copyright. 1870.

For anybody interested in the
United States, this should be a
irst-class Thanksgiving.
The nation has had phenomenal
crops. but that isn't it.
War is over. Early in March we
shall have peace officially, ending
the present comic opera situation,
but that isn't it.
Uncle Sam can sit down to his
Thanksgiving dinner with Miss Co
lumbia beside him, the eagle
perched on the back of his chair,
and say to them. "Au three Of US
are still entirely American. They
haven't painted any union-jack
stripes on the eagles chest. or fas-
tened any international ball and
chain to the foot of Miss Colum-
bia."
That is the picture that makes
this a real good Thanksgiving. We
lost some good men, we lost
sauandered, stolen and lent-three
or four dozens of billions Of dol
lars. But we have not lost our ma
tionality and can synpathize with
the young lady in the French light
opera as she sings, escaping from
the soldier. 81 have broken my two
dozen eggs, but | have preserved
my innocence"
Two BOYS named Garland inher-
tied each a million. Charles Gar
land, becoming of age, refuses the
money. His nineteen year : old
brother announces that he also Will
refuse his million at the age OF
twenty-one. They say, "We Will
not take or use what we have not
earned"
But they are mistaken. We all
take many things not earned. For
instance:
Our upright position that en-
ables us to look at the stars. That
was earned by ancestors with low
foreheads and bis jaws. hundreds
of thousands Of years ago, and by
lower ancestors before them, mi
grating uphill and gradually get
ting their forepaws off the ground.
We inherit, without having
earned, all the knowledge in all the
books, all the fruits of science, all
the victories won for human free
dom, all the magnificent crop that
has grown from seed sown in the
blood of martyrs, martyrs of re-
ligion, and martyrs of science.
Each Garland boys million is a
small inheritance compared with
what every healthy human being
inherits from millions Of ances-
tors.
Within one little corner OF his
brain. John d. Rockefeller in
herited a thousand millions or
more. He is using the inheritance
well, organizing industry, dis
crediting wasteiul competition,
encouraging science, fighting dis
ease.
There is no disgrace in accept
ing any Inheritance that the laws
of the country or OF nature may
bring. Disgrace is in bad use or
such an inheritance, or neglect to
use the Inheritance.
The action of the Garland broth
ers reflects nobility of character,
praiseworthy idealism. But those
young gentlemen should read the
parable of the servant with the
ten talents and the servant with
the one talent that buried and
wasted 1t.
The duty Of man is to be use
full, to accept gratefully all that
past ages have given, and add a
little. if he can. for future ages
to inherit.
Money represents power, it is
frozen labor that may be thawed
out and returned to useful effort.
To reject it is to reject a set of
useful tools.
Take power, then use it. You
sec the unfortunate struggling in
a hole of poverty from which they
can't escape. Don't think to help
them by jumping down into the
kole. Stay where you are, devote
your life and strength to pulling
them out.
That is better than going down
into the hole with them to tell
them how sorry you feel for them.
Men are lifted up by those who
reach down from above; they
don't lift themselves from the bot
tom, with all respect for Lenin
and Trotzky.
Read the history of the French
revolution. All active, useful men
in that great successful fight for
liberty came from the top They
came from above and pulled up the
bottom.
Mirabeau, the nobleman who
started it with his wonderful
speech; Des MouIine, the fiery
student who paid for his service
with his life; Danton, a man of