South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-26
%. 1922
A MESSAGE FROM THE PAST.

Divorce scandals among the very rich are bccom-
ing common that they losing their i'm
p0ftance even as news The head OF a large bank
n in the power OF his unIir ted wealth goes
to daring lengths to rid himself Of the wife Of his
youth and marry a lady OF the chorus. daughter
Of one OF the greatest mHonaires IS linked by COS
sip a youth of half her age. The parents OF a
college youth scandalized by his fondness for girl
whose parents listed in the social register
pay fortune to annulment Of his hurried
wedd NJ.
These are but a few OF the cases that have hap
pened in the weeks upon the front rages Of
newspapers and which have reused 10 great anger
and fervent protest against such scandals ministers
students Of social conditions reformers.
But It is In fact history is but repeating
Itself As back the year II A. D.. 1905 years
ago, a great Roman historian by name Of Llvy
commented upon the habits and conduct and morals
OF those who watched the gladlators Coliseum
and cavorted with slave girls in their magnificent
baths:
in these later years wealth has brought avarice
in its train. and the unlimited command of pleasure
has created a passion for running them
selves and everything else through self indulgence"
the comment of this early Roman whose words
might have sprung from the lips Of the pastor Of
the church
There may be those who will take this messge of
LAvy and wonder whether America which IA led TO
yield to the challenge OF poverty and Of hardship
withstand the temptat OF lnordinate wealth.
Those who have any misgivings upon this point
should understand the difference between the days
Of Rome and the days of America.
The wealthy of Rome received their fortunes
the tributes Of slave labor. Their wealth came
from victor in war when pillage and plumber
the objects for which mon fought and killed
each other. Neither modern commerce nor modern
fndii had any in hat r1v daya old
into the hands of men either because of
strength of take it from those who held
ness in obtaining the control of government and
obtaining it through assessments in taxes
Our modern of wealth, except in a few in
stances. has had to work for his money. He works
harder to keep it, for wealth America has con-
stantly changing value. 1t must be invested in
order to return a profit The money must work
either industry or in commerce. Idle dollars
breed; and in this land OF equal opportunity
the who is moderate circumstances today
may be the millionaire Of tomorrow Only few
yield to the temptations of wealth 1t too hard
retain wealth after it has been more hardly
won.
And those who find their way into the front
pages of newspapers through the scandal routes,
whose prominence is due to their violation or
ventional1ty and their unrestrained passion of
self-indugence form but the froth and are not i'm
rortant
They attract the spotlight for the moment and
then pass on to that oblivion which their minds and
morals merit. Tomorrow new men control the real
wealth which is represented by the r dollars through
the industries and the great enterprises of the
nation-control thens and hold them only "a long
they are able to stand firm against the weakening
influence of money.
The thing that destroyed Rome-the decline of
manhood through Indulgence caused by passion
destroy America. Tor the people. plain.
purposeful men and women who produce wealth.
control the conditions under which wealth may be
retained. and 50 strongly mhedded in the hearts
OF those who labor and who work who want nothing
but opportunity and who satisfied only to he OF
service arc the ideals the old virtues the old
morality that they do not permit those who violate
their ideals to either Ioag retain their wealth
their power.
Ronc. the Rome which Ltvy lived. fixed
and solid and controlled. 1t was built uUon power
and war. 1t maintained its position aad collected its
weai;h by force and murder.
America is new eacr DAY with it the morning
Sun brings only opportunities and greater wealth
and the zeal control ana real stability of society
lss,s u9on those who really serve. Weddings whom
wealth may destroy destroy only themselves.