But what a man is will depend on what he does with the things he has or
may have. Let him once set the possession of things as his loftiest
ideal, let this avarice of things enter the heart and speedily the love
of the good will leave. To that god all honour, all truth loving, all
gentleness and humanity are sacrificed. When possession becomes life's
ruling passion it doesn't take long for principle to be forgotten.

The danger to-day is not that our people will fail in the world's
contests because they lack either money, mind, or muscle. We are in
little danger from illiteracy or from business incompetency; but we are
in danger from moral paralysis, due to undue pressure on the money
nerve. We have talked before the youth in the home and amongst
ourselves on the street as though the only thing worth living for was
money, as though they alone were great who had it and they only to be
despised who had it not.

The danger is neither in our market, our commerce, nor our laws; the
danger is in our own hearts. No matter how world-potent our
merchandise, how marvellous our mechanical and material powers, how
brilliant our business strategy, all will not avail to silence the
voice, "Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee." Then
whose shall these things be?

We need, not fewer things, not the return to an age of poverty or
dreary destitution; we need more power over things; to let the man, so
long buried beneath the money and the lands and houses, come to the
top; to set ourselves over our things; to make them serve us, minister
to our lives and our purposes in living.

There must be an elevation of standards, the institution of new