| Show Inherited Riches are a Doubtful 1 Blessing There seems to be a rapidly growing sentiment today among various classes of people that mans man's existence is but a hum humble ble one unless he lives in abundance abundance abundance ance and revels in wealth so much so i J that our social fabric is in a very pre precarious J carious condition And were this destructive destructive des des- f theory limited to particular com communities mum ties or periods of life little if concern concern need be m manifested but as it has shown itself in our most important social classes and rapidly undermining our youth it is time that close observing observing observing ing people should cry a halt The cry for wealth is not a child of today One would rather think that it had grown to maturity that its feeble utterances in in the past are republished sY t today day in a more intensified form from the e extreme east to the the rem remotest test west herald heralding ing the II castle as con containing tain mg the theP thee thelong P e long sought gem gem happiness tom The socialistic plea t that at the greatest blessing to humanity consists in an equal distribution of wealth is but an outgrowth of a false premise in ones one's chain of thought Were it true that the owners of large estates or of great wealth were also the possessors possess posse sors s- s ors of that sweet contentment sought for by all philosophers then might we conclude that our condition was but weak and that a speedy realization of wealth would be mans man's greatest boon II The proper proper study of f mankind is 11 L' L man and we are by no means mean s led to believe by studying the record of man that the owner ot of great accumulated or inherited wealth is the possessor of any particular enviable blessing Taking a avery avery avery very general view view of the subject one would not say in the light of history that the brightest age of Greece her wealthiest can in in any way compare compare compare com com- pare with those serene days of the Homeric Period the Ii little huts illumined ed by family joy those cradles of poets statesmen statesmen and heroes These certainly were not pictures of corruptible wealth but a poet would here find his theme for real joy and hearty contentment Neither would we say that the later C Caesars sars and financial rulers of Rome with their ill-gotten ill gains were enjoying enjoying enjoy enjoying enjoy enjoy- ing that happiness that distinguished primi primitive tive Rome And in spite of the many pictures that history reveals the rich aspires exclusively for more riches the poor though he might be happy renders his condition less hopeful in his ill-chosen ill path to prosperity And narrowly speaking he lie thinks his suspicion well grounded for II were were I not Alexander I would be Diogenes seems to him the growing cry of all wealth and longingly longingly longingly long long- he yearns to be Alexander Every desert of life has its occasional fruitful spot and what seems to man an Eden is but oft ott a vanishing dream So it would appear that the poor is not forgotten forgotten forgotten for for- gotten while the rich frequently wanders wanders wanders wan wan- ders in undesirable paths But to be more specific Does inherited inherited inherited 1 wealth bring any very desirable blessing to its possessor It would seem that in m the intellectual progress of man to be born rich would be a very sad calamity at all events an unfavorable unfavorable unfavorable able condition For the tendency would be to rely solely on the glitter of gold and forget the rough rumbles leading round by round the ladder of fame Man Mans s s- highest duty is to perfect him- him self The wise would say Orient him him- self Become perfectly familiar with his varying nature and though many disagreeable knobs may be observed in his roughly course yet after all such may prove a most turn Below the Children of Isi ael worshipped worshipped worshipped wor wor- shipped the golden calf while Moses communed with Jehovah on the Mount How effective a picture when applied to man Relying upon his wealth i man loses the impetus of his growth He worships below while poverty aware of her condition patiently climbs and beholds the promised land Socrates was not wealthy His joy consisted in giving birth to the intellect i of man Confucius boasted of no earthly goods yet an empire worship at his feet I today Even the Savior of man who had not where to la lay hi his head could r 5 yet find joy in In healing the wounds of men Where then does happiness lie Will Willits Willits I its sweep embrace the palace and the II I cave cave Will it like the g gentle dew drop upon the lowliest flower Reason answers answers answers an an- Yes and the rich and the poor may yet join hands in a full realization of usefulness If c A. A J. J Niels Nielson on I r n. n |
