Cash Rightly Rules In This World

CASH RIGHTLY RULES IN THIS WORLD

Seems To Be The Opinion Of Prof. F.M. Taylor

Does Not Believe a Man's First Duty Is to Care for His Neighbor

Religion, the sense of justice, and philanthropy are inferior to the almighty dollar in securing the proper division of wealth between men. This dictum was Thursday laid down by Prof. Taylor of the Michigan political economy department, if the Detroit Journal correctly quotes him.

"The absence of religion, of the sense of justice, and philanthropy in the present order is largely a good thing," Prof. Taylor told his class. "There is a very great danger in the extension of religion and philanthropy to regulate division of wealth.

"In the first place, one of the things of prime importance in the world is self-reliance in man. In the second place, this altruistic plan of running the world would be a very expensive plan--a wasteful plan. Suppose that every man should attempt to take care of his neighbor. He wouldn't have to look out for himself any longer; his neighbor would do that. I would have no incentive to be careful how I spent money. You would take care of me, and I'd look out for you.

"The men of big abilities of rare talents, would never use them for the benefit of society. He would never climb up to where he could use them, if he allowed altruistic principles to lead him instead of dollars.

"Very likely, just after breakfast, some tramp would ask this genius to do him a small favor. Of course, running on the altruistic plan, the genius would take care of the tramp before he had time to do a little work which the nation needed, but had no one else to do.

"Dollars do well enough as the incentive to determine where a man is needed. Henry Ward Beecher preached for years in a little Ohio town. Then a New York church offered him several thousand dollars a year to preach for them. Beecher had no business to refuse. The offer of a big salary was a sign that he could do more good in New York; that the world didn't want him to waste his big energies on a little place."