Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-06
By Frederick ]. Haskin.


Washington. D. c., March SIS 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 n man is a subject much dis
cussed and much differed about. And
there is a widespread belief that much
money is dangerous to a young man,
that his success andthappiness are mos
probable il he has to make his own
way. A surprisingly large number of
people act upon this belief. For in
stance, within the last few weeks two
| such instances have come to the at
| tention Of the public. In one of these
a young man. Charles Garland, re-
| fused to accept a bequest Of a quarter
of a million dollars. He gave no reas-
on for his refusal, but simply informed
the trustees of the estate that he was
not interested in the money and would
not take it In the other case. the viii
I, of a multi-millionaire. Marshall Field.
was found to provide taht his grandsons
| should not have the full use of his
estate until each had reached the age
| of so years. The Field will specifical-
| ly states that this action is taken to
\ prevent the heirs from leading use
less lives of luxury and idleness."
Whatever Garland's motive may
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 dangers
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 di-
rection. but these instances are sig
nificant
| The Ancient Question
Furthermore. the whole question Is
| significant because it brings up that
ancient problem as 10 whether environ
| factor in a mans destiny. In other
words, is it true as We have generally
| been taught in this country, that If you
| just get a good education and work
hard and mind your Ps and Q's you
can do almost anything? Or, on the
contrary, is 1t true that your destiny
depends largely on the kind of brain
| you were born with, and that you will
get tho education and all the rest of
the things you need in spite of almost
| any handicap of mere circumstances.
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
iittlesfhvcstigation. Our psychologists
arc just beginning to investigate such
practical and 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 who
firmly believed that wealth was curse
to young man. and that inheritance
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, 1t is merely assertion
backed up by n little theorizing. Let
some investigator gather all possible
instances OF young men who have in
herited money, let him find out just
what each one accomplished, and trace
as far as possible. what effect tho
| money had on their careers. Such a
man would be worth listening TO. be-
cause he would have some evidence as
| well as argument to offer.
| Meantime, 1t is pretty clear that We
| believe what we want to believe. 1t
is comforting to think that We may
achieve much If we only get good
education and work hard-that these