THE SPIRIT OF COVETOUSNESS.
By G.
HARDLY to be envied, even by the covetous, is the man who is said to be the richest man in the world. It is possible to gain a reputation, even through "business" methods, that at last brings down upon a man the opinion of his fellows that he is not any better than a genteel robber on a large scale. But the worst thing for the public is that the man who stands as the personification of the Standard Oil monopoly, has so many interested associates, and so many business imitators, among the influential men of the world. Thousands of men are profiting financially by the relentless, mercenary methods of the Standard Oil manipulators. The system has not only its trunk, but its roots and branches. While Rockefeller, as the leading spirit in the founding of the great oil trust, perhaps deserves all the contumely that has been heaped upon him, yet if he were personally jibbeted, not a peg of the monopoly would give way on that account. It should not be forgotten that the Standard Oil trust, and the scores of other trusts of lesser magnitude, would not be possible without the assistance of public officials. Nothing makes the fact of official corruption so conspicuous as the existence of these great robber monopolies. They could not exist but by the connivance of legislators—national, state, and municipal; by the connivance of executive officers—national, state and municipal; and by the connivance of judges—national, state, and municipal. And the army of monopolists is augmented because there are so many would-be recruits, who, tho joining in the outcry against the greed of the trust-founders, are ready to fall into line the moment the opportunity offers. "The love of money is the root of all evil," and it is permeating the human heart as never before. The covetous man is a monopolist to the extent of his ability, and that is just as far as he is shrewd enough to divine the possible opportunity. The robber on a small scale is no better at heart than the more extensive operator; but he is not so dangerous, because he lacks the courage, the assurance, the ingenuity. The spirit of monopoly, of greed, of covetousness, is in the very air of this sin-cursed earth, and its influence deepens and thickens because "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." And the church is open to it, the most conspicuous mediums of the trust being honored and retained even when its terrible results are felt and acknowledged by the masses. Men make wry faces at the bitterness of the fruit, but the tree is nurtured, and covetous men are no longer afraid to join themselves to the church for fear of incongenial companionship. In the days of Ananias and Sapphira, there came a time when such men dare not join the church; but that time is past. It is the popular thing now, and men seek membership, and pay for it, in order to gain political and business influence; and they are made welcome. G.