The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKs, Director.
washington, d. C.
is MONEY DANGEROUS

IL washington ID. Y.
+ Is-MoNEY DANGEROUS?
| Washington, D. c., March As it a
help or handicap in the pursuit of
success and happiness to have wealth
/ which you have.inherited or otherwise
obtained without any effort of your
own?
| Most of us would be glad to hazard
the handicaps and take the money, if
any should come our way. And yet
| the precise effect which unearned
money has on man is a subject much
discussed and much differed about.
| And there is certainly a widespread
belief that much money is dangerous
+, to a young man. that his success and
| happiness are most probable if he has
to make his own way. A surprisingly
| large number of people act upon this
| belief. For instance, within the last
| few weeks two such instances have
come to the attention C the public.
| In one of these a young man, Charles
| Garland, refused to accept bequest of
| a quarter of a million dollars. He
! gave no reason for his refusal. but
simply informed the trustees of the
estate that he was not interested in
money and would not take it. In the
| other case, the will of multi-mhlion~
aire, Marshall Field, was found to pro-
vide that his grandsons should not
have the full use of his estate until
The Field will specifically states that
this action is taken to prevent the
heirs from leading useless lives of
| luxury and idleRess.''
Whatever Garland's motive may
have been in refusing a fortune,
Fields motive in tying his up is thus
plainly announced. He believed that
inherited wealth will make man use
less. And the diligent newspaper
reader might collect many other in
stances of rich men who have sought
to protect their heirs from the dan
gers of wealth, and a few others of
men and women who have themselves
run away from wealth. OF course,
the general stampede is in the opposite
direction but these instances are sig
nificant.
The Ancient Question.
Furthermore. the whole question is
significant because it brings up that
ancient problem as to whether en-
vironment or heredity is the determin-
ing factor in mans destiny. In order
words, is it true, as we have generally
been taught in this country, that if
Iyou just get a good education and
work hard and mind your Ps and as
you can do almost anything? Or, on
the contrary, is it true that your des-
tiny depends largely on the kind of
brain you were born with, and that
lyou will get the education and all the
rest of the things you need in spite OF
almost any handicap of mere circum-
stances.
This question has been debated by
the millions of words, and yet it has
never been anywhere near settled. The
reason seems to be that, while there
has been much talk, there has been
little investigation. Our psychologists
fo teS ItnIl
practical vital questions as this. We
may expect some real light on the
question in the next few years.
Alfred Russell Wallace, the friend
and follower of Darwin, was one VINO
firmly believed that wealth was curse
of wealth should be done away with.
Frank Harris is another man of un--
doubted intelligence who is fond OF
making the same assertion. But IN
both cases, it is merely assertion
backed up by little theorizing. Let
some investigator gather all possible
Instances of young men who have in
iherited money, let him find out just
what each one accomplished, and trace
as far as possible, what erect the
money had on their careers. Such a
man would be worth listening to, pc
cause he would have some evidence
las well as argument to offer.
Meantime, it is pretty clear that we
believe what we want to belleVe- IL
is comforting to think that we may
achieve much if we only get sood
education and work hard-that these
factors are more important thdn
heredity. 1t is also comforting for
those of us who have no money to pc
lieve that we have thereby escaped
curse, and are happier and more sue
cessful than we would, have been II
we had inherited millions.
\ Study of Royalty. 10y.
The nearest thing to scientihc
study of the question which we can
| find is a book by Adams Woods on
| 'rHeredity and, Royalty" Mr.. woo is
studied the histories of all the royal
families in Europe with view TO DIS
covering whether in these families
chosen because so much information
about them can be found-ability has
been hereditary or not. He also sets
| out to discover whether these families
| have tended to degenerate by reason
of thir luxurious lives, as they are
popularity believed to do. Here then,
| is a real statistical study of the erect
| of inherited wealth on great number
of men and women-over 5000 are
studied individually.
Woods, who is a biologist first and
historian only second, reaches the en-
phatic conclusion that in royal fami-
| lies, wealth and luxury have not
tended to produce degeneration. He
proves, to his own satisfaction, that
when. such families have shown a de-
cline in ability or power, it has al
ways been due to hereditary influ-
enees. Usually inbreeding is not the
cause, either. The cause usually is an
| unwise marriage Some prince mar
ries an obscure woman who is stupid,
| commonplace, or unhealthy. The next
generation shows the effect of the bad
| cross. Two or three such marriages,
and the blood of the royal family,
nearly always of excellent quality to
start with. is diluted with weaknesses
which ultimately lead to its downfall.
| Woods shows that some royal fami-
lies. like that of Portugal, for exam
pie, have produced men of high ca