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anything better; let's have it.' 'Proverbs 28.8,' he said; 'because, boy, you are bound to be a rich man some day, and I want to have you remember the Lord's word to you.' 'What's the proverb; Elder?' I said. And he got the Book and opened it and let me see it and read: 'He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.' Then he said again, Jones, you will be rich, but be rich right; never take any more interest than the law allows.' 'That's usury, is it?' I said, and he said, 'Yes.' Then I went away. I grew rich, but I took no more interest than was allowed me. I grew rich so fast, when I began compounding my money, and acquiring my lands and dealing in eatables as a promoter of prices, that it would make your head swim. You are wanting the facts, and I'll just give 'em to you. I learned to despise the Almighty. He said take no more than the law allows of interest, and I just got fat while others just got lean. I could eat 'em alive and still keep the charge of the Almighty. But I just dodged paying any attention to the Man up in the sky after that. If he knew no more about running his business when calling it righteousness and justice and all that, than to give me a charter to pluck 'em alive all the country round, I could get along without him. But by and by I met a fellow who knew something. He called me a landgraber and a usurer. I sassed him back that I was the first but not the last, and could prove it. 'I've a regular magna charta from the Almighty, Mr. Fellow,' I thumped, 'and I am going to prove it.' He grinned, and I opened the Book. 'Here it is,' I proved, letting him see Proverbs 28.8. 'I don't thing much of it, but here it is.' He just hollered. 'Jones,' you're a good one, but why aren't you up to date?' 'What's that?' I growled. He just took my arm and marches me into his study; for he too was a preacher. And he showed me something. He showed me religion is as much sinned against as sinning. He had my text in a different Bible-the American revised, he called it. And it put the Almighty in a different light. I just looked and looked, and felt a sort of respect for the Almighty growing deeper and deeper as I peered. In place of advising me to take no more interest than the law allowed, he was ordering me to take none. 'Elder, here's my hand,' I said. And I went away to do some thinking. That's all I have to say, Judge.

Judge W. (producing a letter from his file).—Mr. Jones, here is a letter you wrote me on this matter three years ago.

Jones. Let's have it read, probably isn't much.

Judge W. (reads).—“But I would give a penny to know what I have flung at me around corners: Is human society tricked, corrupted and misshapened by my taking all the interest the law allows me? Is my interest a deceitful blessing? By taking all I can now do I make it certain that fewer will be able to take it a hundred years from now? Do I snag society by my per cent? Am I certain that I won't hurt the Almighty's plans

by writing my interest against folks off the slate? I give a lot to the Lord, mightn't I be followed by some one who would give him none at all? How are we going to keep up the colleges and hospitals, city councils and legislatures, missions and charities, and the whole, without money out at interest? But that'll do. Good luck at election time."

Jones. Well you had the good luck didn't you? As to questions on interest, three years is a long time to keep 'em from growing sprouts. We have had a war since then. The subject is bigger now.

Judge W.-You mean you could answer some of them yourself now?

Jones. Some of 'em, yep.

Judge W.-Mr. Jones, what is to become of the world when your interest amounts to several hundred million dollars a year? Jones.-Tax it out of me, if you can; and then squander it in pork barrels, and costly nothings.

Judge W.-Why not tax it out of you and let you invest it for the people?

Jones. Interest comes out of the people.

Judge W.-I know; but if we could only equalize it, so that we could harness it to civilization for a forward pull. Jones.-There is only one hindrance to that.

Judge W. (brightening).—And that one hindrance is-?
Jones. That no one has any serious idea of doing it.
Judge W.-I agree with you; no one of weight, that is.
Miss T.-O Mr. Jones, why don't you think of doing it?

(Jones laughs.)

Judge W.-You know, Mr. Jones, when I was offered the presidency of that little college out in your state, you offered me a million dollars as a starter for an endowment fund.

Jones. A couple million.

Judge W.-Yes, a couple of million dollars, half on condition. Would you care to repeat the offer, now that they are after me again, giving me the right to use the money to start a country-wide discussion on the problem of equalizing interest? Jones (bluntly).-I would think about it. (rising). Yes; I would do it. It's a good thing; and it's needed. I will give you five millions more if you can get five other millionaires interested in seeking a Christian solution of the matter. you needn't thank me. Good by. (exit).

No;

NOTES

1 Martha Evans Martin, The Friendly Stars, New York and London, 1907, D. 154. (Introduction by Harold Jacoby, Ph.D., Rutherford Professor of Astronomy, Columbia University.) 2 William T. Ellis, New Era Magazine, A Traveller's Conclusions, December, 1919, p. 720. 3 Rev. H. S. Bigelow, Sermon, Cincinnati, Ohio, May 28, 1905, preserved in King C. Gillette's Social Redemption, Boston, 1907, p. 419. 4 I. Sam. 8. 4-18. 5 Walter Rauschenbusch, D. D., professor of church history, Rochester Theological Seminary, Christianity and the Social Crisis, New York, 1910, p. 8. 6 Lev. 25. 23. 7 Frederick C. Howe, Privilege and Democracy, New York, 1910, p. 30. 8 Professor of economics, formerly of the U. of Chicago, now of the U. of Missouri, The Economics of Enterprise, New York, 1916.

9 Ezek. 18. 10-13. 10 Ezek. 18. 8. 11 Ezek. 22. 12. 12 Jer. 15. 10. 13 Isa. 24. 2. 14 Luke 6. 34-5. 15 Ps. 15. 1-2, 5. 16 Neh. 5. 11-2. 17 Prov. 28. 8. 18 John 5. 39. 19 Neh. 5. 7. 9. 20 Ex. 22. 25. 21 Lev. 25. 36. 22 Deut. 23. 19. 23 Matt. 5. 17-19.

24 The phrase "kingdom of God" on Jesus' lips always refers to the theocratic hope. 25 A few days before his crucifixion. 26 Of high rank. 27 The word is doulos. 28 The sense is missed in the authorized version, which has it, "occupy till I come:" lost atmosphere is at once imparted to the reader; there had never been anything in common between Jesus and the traders. 29 This is Westcott and Hort's translation: the R. V. has "required." 80 Thus far Luke's narrative. ch. 19. vs 11-28. 31 Matthew's addition; observe that all these words are put into the mouth of the sordid king. ch. 25, vs. 14-30.

32 "In the great Roman empire, such a circumstance as this can have been of no unfrequent occurrence." Archbishop Trench, Parables, The Pounds. 33 John 9. 34-35; John 18. 17. 34 Matt. 21. 12-17; Mark 11. 15-19; John 2. 13-22; Luke 19. 45-48. 35 Matt. 21. 15. 36 "Bite" and "exaction" the word for "interest" in the law and the prophets. 37 The Greek word is austeros, meaning hard, rigid, rough, harsh. It is as though Jesus chose the word as a label for interest-bites. 38 No less a distinguished scholar than Archbishop Richard Chenevix Trench gives himself to these words; see his works, The Talents, The Pounds.

39 Dynamic Sociology, New York, 1894, i. 694; 1913, 1. 684. 40 Wealth of Nations, Bk. V.. Article iii. 41 John 18. 36. 42 Mt. 5. 17. 43 Mt. 28. 19-20. 44 Mt. 6. 9-10. 45 Compare lexicon, Westcott and Hort's Greek New Testament, London, 1905, cosmos, pp. 107-108. 46 Work and Wages, New York, 1884, pp. 574-75. 47 Industrial Revolution, with Memoir of Toynbee by Dr. B. Jowett, Master of Balliol College, Oxford University, London, 1902.

48 Professor of economic history, Harvard, English Economic History, New York, 1892, p. 148. 49 William Cunningham, D. D., Archdeacon of Ely, Politics and Economics. London, 1885: Christianity and Economic Science, London, 1914: The Progress of Capitalism in England, London, 1916. 50 Politics and Economics. 51 Ibid, pp. 41, 258.

52 The books bear the same title: Introduction to English Economic History and Theory, New York, Part I., 1892: II., 1893. 53 Statute 25 Edward I., A. D. 1297, Text of the Revised Statutes, London, 1870-2. iv. pp. 96-97. 54 Patmos a barren rocky isle, 10 mi. long and 5 mi. wide, in the Icarian region of the Aegean Sea. The highest hill in the island, some 800 ft. above the sea, shows a cave half way us, in which it is said the Revelation was given. Gibbon's Rome, vol. i., ch. iii, fifth from last paragraph, and following, gives the political setting. 55 James Russell Lowell, Boston, April 2, 1842. 56 Rev. 2. 27. 57 ch. xv.

58 James Russell Lowell, Sonnets, Boston, April 2, 1842. 59 Sam. 8. 10-20. 60 The reader is referred to the Critical Dictionary of the Library, Political and Religious History of the Bible familiarly known as the Encyclopaedia Biblica, The Rev. T. K. Cheyne, D. Litt., D. D. and J. Sutherland Black, M. A., LL. D., London, 1902, vol. iii. pp. 3922-3965. Here conservative criticism of the highest order compactly given, will present the subject in the most attractive and scholarly way known to print.

61 Encyc. Biblica, London, 1902, iii. 3924.6. 62 ibid, 8961. 88. 63 Ps. 85. 64 See the author's Songs of Theocratic Democracy, for similar instances. 65 Ps. 66. 16-20, and try the whole psalm, from the words, "Oh bless our God, ye peoples," vs. 8. 66 Ps. 73. 67 Ps. 69. 68 Ps. 73. 2. 69 Ps. 57. 70 Ps. 56. 73 Ps. 2. 74 Ps. 8. 75 Ps. 5.

76 Enderman. 77_Cunningham, we learn from the notes, City Opinion on Usury, in Banker's Journal, Feb., 1887. This is well worth noting. 78 Brentano. 79 Observe that interest-charges grew out of rent-charges, so far as the permission of the Church was obtained. 80 The date is important.

81 Provisions thus far agree with Bible. 82 Rent-charges as affecting the theory of interest-charges should be well-fixed in the reader's mind; it is rent and interest that are anti-theocratic, and so subversive to democracy. 83 ii., 1912, p. 432. 84 Christianity and Economic Science, pp. 58, 61, 62, 68 65.

86 ibid. p. 2. 87 ibid. 89 News item. Apr. 24, 1919. 90 F. C. Howe, Privilege and Democracy, N. Y.. 1910, pp. 37-8. 91 Abstract Census 1910, pp. 293-5. 92 H. J. Davenport. professor of political economy, University of Chicago, Value and Distribution, Chicago, 1908, pp. 152-53

93 Elements of Political Economy, New York, 1884, p. 384. 94 i. 62. 95 iii. 394. 96 Hist. of Econ. and Pub. Law, vol. 57, 1914, Financial History of New York State. 97 New York, 1910. 98 Boston, 1907.

99 News Item, Nov. 29, 1919, p. 17. 100 Dynamic Sociology, or Applied Social Science, New York, 1894, il. 88, 89, i. 594 595, 571-73. 101 Rev. Newell Dwight Hillis D. D., Sermon, Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, Nov. 30, 1919, published Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Dec. 1, 1919. 102 Theory of Moral Sentiments, Part III, ch. iii. 103 Economics of Enterprise.

104a Charles S. Devas, Political Economy, London 1901, pp. 653-4. 104b See Palgrave's Dictionary of Political Economy, Tucker. 105 J. D. Rogers, Palgrave's Dictionary of Political Economy, London, 1913, iii. 304. And see Chapter XV. 106 Henry. Lord Brougham, F. R. S., Lives of Men and Letters and Science, 1845, p. 126. 107 Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Edinburgh, 1846, vol. ii. 519-21. 108 The seventh edition of this book, London, 1792, 2 vols. 109 John Kells Ingram, LL. D. A History of Political Economy, New York, 1888, p. 109. 110 Life of Adam Smith, 59, 61.

111 Dugald Stewart's Life of Smith, 1811; John Rae's Life of Adam Smith, 1895 Francis W. Hurst's Adam Smith, 1904: Lord Brougham's memoir of Smith in his Men of Science and Letters series; and J. R. M'Culloch's Life of Smith, all London prints, are excellent biographies. Watson, in his Annals of Philadelphia (i. 533), speaks of Smith's habit of bringing his manuscript of the Wealth of Nation's to Benjamin Franklin in London, for the great American's comment. Smith would sometimes rewrite whole chapters of the work following Franklin's advice.

Of the person of Smith, both M'Culloch and Lord Brougham, in their lives of Smith, offer us proof of the existence of a medallion of Smith by Tassie, which Bell, in M'Culloch, and Brown, in Lord Brougham, have engraved for us. It is a head-and-shoulders' view, profile, the distinguishing features of which are, a large aquiline nose, a protruding eye, a smooth-shaven face and a handsome peruke. M'Culloch gives beside a full-length view of Smith, taken standing. We see that Smith was not a tall man, not strong of shoulders, but firm on his feet. This view bears the date of 1790-the year of Smith's death.

112 Millar, professor of law in Glasgow; the fact is preserved in J. R. M'Culloch's Life of Smith, p. iv. Millar adds, "the substance of the work which he afterwards published under the title, Wealth of Nations."

113 J. Shield Nicholson, professor of economy, Edinburgh University, Elements of Political Economy, London, 1903, p. 2. 114 Theory of Moral Sentiments, ii. p. 399, etc. 115 The Standard Dictionary, New York, 1893. p. 644. 116 Van Buren Denslow, LL. D., New York, 1888, p. 22. Principles of Economic Philosophy. 117 A. T. Hadley, Yale, Economics. 118 Richard T. Ely, Professor of political economy, U. of Wisconsin, Introduction to Political Economy, New York and Cincinnati, 1894, pp. 85-6.

119 Translation of B. Jowett, Professor of Greek, Oxford, England, is used, Oxford and London, 1885. 120 Aristotle the pupil of Plato, lived in the day of Alexander the Great. i.e. fourth Century, B. C. Aristotle (384-322 B. C.) 121 Compare Prov. 30. 8, noting the removal from "falsehood and lies" there desired. 122 Compare Smith on Solon, noting Smith's use of Solon's name as a prop for expediency, 123 John Ruskin, The Crown of Wild Olive, Traffic, 834. 184 Isaiah 40. 18, 25; 46. 5. 125 W. J. Ashley, Economic History and Theory, London, 1893, p. 387.

128

126 Compare Ruskin, p. 127 Theory of Moral Sentiments, IV. 1. 467. ibid, ii. 117-18 compare p. 109. 129 Theory of Moral Sentiments, 421-23. 130 Wealth of Nations, Book IV. v. 131 ibid. 132 ibid. 133 ibid, opening words. 134 Wealth of Nations, Bax edition, London, 1912, ii. 191-2. 135 Theory of Moral Sentiments, 139.

138

136 Rae, Life of Adam Smith, pp. 205-06. 137 Parl, Hist. vol. 83, 778. Chapter VIII. 139 Wealth of Nations, edited by E. B. Bax, 1912, vol. 1, 878. 140 ibid, p. 385. 141 Wealth of Nations, II. 232. 142 Theory of Moral Sentiments, seventh edition, London, 1792, p. 151. 143 Wealth of Nations, II. 228. 144 ibid, I. 388-94. 145 ibid, I. 262-3. 146 ibid, IV. ch. vii. 147 ibid, I. 898. 148 ibid, I. 31. 149 ibid, I x. part ii. 150 Theory of Moral Sentiments, 146153. 151 Theory of Moral Sentiments, ii. 91. 152 ibid, 122-24. 153 ibid. 154 ibid, ii. 90. 155 ibid, ii. 92. 156 ibid, ii. 115-16. 157 citation page 99.

158 Dr. Kippis, Life of Butler, Works of Joseph Butler, LL. D., Edinburgh, 1813, vol. i. p. vi. 159 Our Josiah Tucker, Episcopal clergyman, who "laid in his Elements of Commerce (1755) those four foundation stones of political economy, the discovery of which is attributed by Zeyss (1889) and Hasbach (1891) to Adam Smith (1776)." J. D. Rogers, Barrister-at-Law. in Palgraves Dictionary of Political Economy, London, 1913, iii. 588. 160 William Paley, Archdeacon of Carlisle, of whom we shall have citations in the present chapter. Paley was twenty years Adam Smith's junior, and died in 1805.

161 Works of Bishop Butler, Gladstone's edition, Oxford, 1896, i. 6. 2. 162 the same, § 12. 163 In David Hume's Nature, London, 1878, ii. § 25. p. 25. 164 Works of Bishop Butler, ii. § 4; iii. § 11. 165 W. Jethro Brown. Underlying Principles of Modern Legislation, London, 1912, p. 12. 166 James Edwin Thorold Rogers (1823-90), Drummond professor of political economy, Oxford University; from 1880-1886 member of Parliament from Southwark; Work and Wages, New York, 1884; author as well of the History of Agricultural Prices, a prodigious work of many volumes, of which W. J. Ashley, the English historical economist says, "an extremely valuable repertory of material for economic_history." 167 the reference is to feudal times. 169 John Stuart Mill, Political Economy, London, IV. vii. §1. 169 The tract, 22 pp., was published in 1793, three years after the death of Adam Smith. 170 William Paley, Works, Book VI. ch. xi. pt. 3, London, 1785. 171 Rev. Thomas R. Malthus, Essay on Population, London, 1798, Bk. IV. ch. xiii. 172 John Kells Ingram, LL. D., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, A History of Political Economy, New York, 1893, pp. 107-9.

173 Wealth of Nations, edited by E. B. Bax, 1912. 2 vols. 174 Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, seventh edition, London, 1792, p. 151. 175 cf. vii. proportion 20 to 1. 176 Theory of Moral Sentiments. 177 Wealth of Nations. 179 p. 23. *The numbers that now follow in parentheses refer to the fifty citations of the chapter. 180 For the marvels of low-cost production see Chapters xiv, xx. 181 ch. xvi. Opinions and Devices 182 ch. xvi p. 220, xi. 150, and see Index. 183 David Davies, D. D., rector of Barkham, Case of the Laborers, Bath, 1795, p. 135. 184 Hos. 4. 6. 185 Wealth of Nations. 186 i. e., when Bishop Butler was busy proclaiming his doctrine that the natural course of things is the conduct of Providence. 187 compare XV p. 197.

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