Show GIVE YOUR MONEY TO POOR TOLSTOI TELLS JOHN D. D PARIS P Nov XO 12 l Lc Matin publishes a aletter aletter aletter letter from Count Tolstoi answering ans a n question which It Is alleged John D D. Rockefeller asked In iii a letter to Tolstoi Rockefeller asked Tolstoi his views on tho the best bost wa way to employ wealth for the greatest good of or humanity and Tolstoi's answer Is 19 as follows Tho question you ou address addres to me Is to know In what measure wealth is compatible compatible com com- with tho the Christian doctrine which you profess I make this answer Apart part altogether from Crom the teachings of or the gospel gos- gos 08 pel pol plain common sense n c tells us that wealth In itself Is Incompatible with an absolutely good life lire I think I have made mado that sufficiently clear In my books The mone money I 1 keep In my pocket or In bonk bank constitutes without the least doubt a sort of or weapon against tho the man mun who ho ho has nono the none tho poor man Now low to possess such Much a weapon and to u use c It wh when n opportunity op- op arises or mere merely to threaten with It It 1 Is not good but evil It Is In this light that mono money appears from tram the viewpoint viewpoint viewpoint view view- point of ot plain common sense Looked at from Crom the Christian point of or view the tho matter Is clearer still The whole doctrine the tho whole spirit of ot the discourses of th the folly of ot mans man's labors to assure his future of ot the toll folly of the acquisition of ot wealth of or mans man's need to act not like the rich man In tho parable who stored his barns with grain groin but more mor like Lazarus the poor manThe manThe man The Tune gospel says ays that happy are the tho poor and unhappy tho the rich That ThC man cannot servo seno both God and mammon that man must give gi to him that asketh and not tako take back th that which he hc has given given- and many other things In lu a n. similar sense Such Is tho the general teaching of tho the Christian doctrine But in conversation with the rich young man In the gospel the truth truths Is s expressed with such precision that It Is Impossible to misunderstand It lt It There Thero It Is 11 said If Ir thou will b bo perfect sell Bell all thou hast and give to the poor and follow ollow me To Justify Justly disobedience of or orthis this t teaching by those who call themselves s among tho the faithful the false alse Interpreters snatch at at as their last hope 0 of safety tho the phrase If Ir thou wilt be perfect and say Cly that perre perfection Is 19 not of or this world But those words I of or Christ w were r Intended to mean If Ir thou ho bo m my disciple There Thero I Is another attempt to Justify the observance non of or this doctrine under the pretext that It t Is said What Is If Impose ble to men Is possible to God This Jun Justification Jus jUH- e- e Is no better founded than the theother theother theother other for tor those thoc words In no way mean that It Is 18 In Gods God's power to save the rich also but that tho the Impossibility of ot abandoning abandoning aban aban- his riches becomes a possibility to him In whom the divine spirit that Is In him reawakens I feel really ashamed to give expression sion elon to such platitudes and to prove what I Is an axiom to an any sincere sincerely religious man whether r h ho believes or not In tho the divine nature or of i the he gospel |