Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

EDITORIAL PAGE THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN Published Every Afternoon Exc<j»t Sunday By T1 {EG EO RGIA N C<)MI ‘A N Y At 20 East Alabama St.. Atlanta. Ga. Entered as second-class matter at postoff.ee at Atlanta, under act of March 3, 18• 9. Subscription Price Delivered by earlier. 10 cents a week. By mail, $5.00 a year. Payable in advance. If You Had Nine Hundred Million Dollars—What Would You Do? Are You Sure That You Would Do Better Than Rockefeller with HIS Nine Hundred Millions? We spend too much time in this country criticising others, and too little time in analyzing and criticising ourselves. The other day a government investigation enabled financial sharps Io a icarth the sad fact that John D. Rockefeller is worth only about nine hundred millions id' dollars. This is disappointing after spending years in the belief that he had one thousand millions. Perhaps he has been a saving gentleman and has saved up the other hundre i millions out of his income, and perhaps he really has the billion that public imagination gave him. However that may be, many citizens are ready to criticise Rockefeller and to tell, without urging, what THEY would do if THEY had nine hundred millions. They say they would abolish poverty—forgetting that nine hundred millions would only buy ONE ten-dollar suit of clothes for each person in our country They would take care of the old and feeble and free age from anxiety forgetting that Rockefeller’s income would not pay the annual f<obacco bill of the aged. They say that they would give children in public schools good and sufficient food and give pure milk to babies—forgetting that Rockefellers, Vanderbilts. Astors and Morgans combined have not mon<y enough for such a task: forgetting that the only thing that can helo ALL Ob’ THE PEOPLE is tin* combined wealth and intelli g. nee of ALL Ob’ THE PEOPLE. We are brilliant and ready in our criticising of others. Every veteran in the old soldiers’ home can describe Napoleon’s mistakes at Waterloo. Few arc eipial to Napoleon. What would YOL do if you had nine hundred millions? The que-tion is worth thought for all thought is usefid, and thinking wlu t you WOf'I.D do helps you to shape your efforts in the things that you CAN do. \fter you have thought the matter over and planned out just what von WOI’LD do. if von were Rockefeller, ask vourself WHY YOL DON’T DO NOW ON A SMALL SCALE THE THINGS THA I' YOI THINK Y(>C WOI’LD Do. Do you say that with nine hundred millions you would provide for a million poor children? Why not provide for ONE NOW, without waiting for the nine hundred millions? Do ym think how you would enjoy making happy the life of an old lather or mother? Why m t do that very thing NOW? Von can do that, without nine hundred million dollars or nine hundred cents. What fathers and mothers want is to see their sons and daugh ters DOING THEIR BEST. You need not take your mother out in a snorting ninety-horsepower machine with six cylinders, a proud chauffeur and a cloud of dust Io make her happy. Take her through the country >ll a trolley and make her feel that you would rather be with HER than with any other human being, and she will be just as happy as though you gave her half of nine hundred million dollars and ha ppi. r. Il' .;ch man v. .'itid think of the things that he would do with nine hundred millions, and then do the one-millionth part of the work without waiting this would he a very fine world. Each of us, merely as a working machine, is worth at least- nine HI NDRED dollars ami would sell for that at public auction. Nine hundred dollars is one-millionth part of the fortune of Rockefeller. Let each one of iis do the one-millionth part of what he thinks he would do if he were Rockefeller, and most of our problems will be solved. I-’.n tis .ml;, the combined wealth and intelligence of ALL the people that can really accomplish big things. And if each did now the best thimis possible with tin- power in his hands, all things would he ■. |L..' ii.o.y >t is, do you suppose, would do belter than Rocke feller. ihe much criticised, if we Imd Ins wealth* How many of us would do as W ell Eew indeed. He has established an institute to study disease and fight dis case, ami drive it from the earth His millions are fighting cancer, and infar.tili paralysis ami sleeping sickness ami the dreadful blood diseases that tor ages have been the shame ami scourge of humanity I'nder the shadow of his wealth and intelligent gen erosity th- greater scientists ami surgeons work secure. They need only think of ulding to human knowledge Rockefeller provides everything That great institute planned in Rockefeller's mind will save in ages to come millions of livj-s ten lives at least for every one of the nine hundred million dollars that Rockefeller owns. Gould any man do better than tight man’s enemies WITH KNOW!. EDGE in tin- ages to come, making every dollar and perhaps every cent represent a human life saved ami a human being rescued from misery Not to etna- but tn I’RhA I'.N I is the task that Rockefeller has Set foe himself ami his money. Could there be a greater task ’ If., tights !•> prevent disease in his magnificent institute, he lights to pr. vent ignorance ami superstition w ith the millions that he gives to education All that has been said of Rockefeller's actions AC C| Ml I.XfINC limy be true, and what is more probable nine tenths of it mav 'he false But this surely is trim- Rockefeller uses bis money !• OR \I. I. I 111 . I T.OI’LE He is doing as a n indi v idua 1 what tin- nation as a whole has not intelligence to do. He considers himself a responsible custodian of the millions that he has dipped lip from the golden stream of opportunity And humanity will be better off beeans. of his work when Im shall have been dead ten thousand years His dollars tight diseases, man s enemies, and ignorance, man s GREATEST em-my. as the bullets of the frontiers man fought wolves, bears, catamounts and redskins hew of those vvlm fell what they would do it thev had nine hundred millions can compare in imaginary usefulness with the ,'vCTI AL usefulness of Rockefeller, who HAS the nine hundred millions And there w. s-■■ how wisdom rules us all for our good To him ’hat hath, in this improved day is given the power to spend well what he hath. I‘h< re is no more spending of accumulated wealth to save the unimportant little soul of the owner. No more leaving of money to bribe divine omnipotence into forgetting or for giving sin. Money now is spent by all but the superstitious and ignorant, not for THEIR souls, but for the souls, bodies and intellects of others -and so the world progresses. Wise laws should control and restrain thus, that are great and powerful through wealth. But grateful humanity should recognize the good that is done. Criticising ourselves more often ami others Jess often, we should remember how many of us are at heart like the man who was asked: "What would you do if some one gave voii two hundred thousand dollars? ’ ami who answered: "I would Jount it.’’ The Atlanta Georgian “IN MARBLE HALLS” By HAL COFFMAN. ' ill! H 9 "" ... < ■ SB i 9 i ■lt O ■ ! ”‘ IB I ? k TYD < ' • | iiiifeH ’ 1 —2 £ . r 1 i * I ■; r ‘ MW/ ■.......DWJ, MW 9BS s ■ 1 ’ Bli ’ w'W- -- ' ?_ <' ~ ' l l - ■ 'r ’ • ' i I I L . [ELLA WHEELER WILCOX NANoooSzXSSNc-t ) X ■SSSSSSSSArS ?vlore Big Work for the Women of America By ELLA WHEELER WILCOX (Copyright, 1912. by Amcrican-Journal-Examlner.) M’lfßK big work for the Wom en of America’. Here is their latest effort along tile beautiful Highway that leads to Pea e No woman had anything to do with the colossal work of planning or making the Panama canal. It is gratifying to think it was. like ill sin h great achievements, a wholly masculine undertaking. The great d is. overei s, the great explor ers. the builders, tile architects, the Inventors have all be u men. The beautitiers and decowiters of life should bi' women. So it is tight and appropriate that women should semi forth this appeal to the women of the fnited States: "The time is tip.- f..r the women of America to take some concerted action for pea., The terriMe re sults of w.. r fall heavily upon' w om en. They are the great sufferers. X.i true mother desires to bear and t.ai sons for the horrors of the bat tleheid. i Two Great Apostles of Peace Have Come. Recently two great apostles of peace Count \pponyi of Hungary and Baron i'el'onstant of Hr-ti. e have come across the Atlantic bearing the same no s-ag. to urge the I’pited Stat.-s government to take the Initiative in seeming per manent intern.ll Inna I concord and peai e. Count Apponyi said in one of his addresses: "When you settled in this country you left behind yuu all tin traditions of the old World which ware burdensome. Its ani mosities. its antagonists, its ha treds. you carried not with you. This fortunate situation lays a great respotisl bil 1• y upon you. We appro’ to you for assistance to do away with the hateful legacy of ha tted between men who fought to be brethren. This is the object of my mission to A met ic.i. "What we need to do. what w • th. women o’ this count ty. must ‘ ' IS f. el ysiallizi t ' deep and I strong pence sentiment »i univoisal I MONDAY. .IFNE 10. 1912. in our land into a positive, active, enthusiastic force that will make it triumph tit and forever put an end to miliuyism and war. "Let us. the women of this coun try. join hands to secure a colossal statue of peace nt the entrance of the Panama canal. Forts at tile entrance of this canal would place our country in the rear of our twentieth century civilization, a liumilial ing denial of our Christian (crofession, as followers of the Prince- of Peace, and a disgraceful contrast to our 'Liberty enlighten ing die World,' which greets all who reach oui Eastern shore. Such a statu-' would be a fitting memo rial of the world-wide treaty inau gurated by I lie I'nited States, w hich we are assured will soon be ratified l>y England. Japan and the Conti nental European Powers, and a propiie, j of the age io be " AH tile women of America should unite to make tills movement a mighty success, Cur womb-iful "Liberty" in New York harbor is an inspiration to ev> r\ one who enters our port. Although our land does not live up to 1 !:e highest ideal of liber:;.-, it is doing more toward making the attempt titan cuy oilier hind on earth. Eve-\ time a thought of liberty ■ lite rs a brain it registe rs just that amount of mental energy in the right direction. «>> F rom Far Away ® QOKHOW not, Swept Heart, bravely go your wav. kv let strenuous work absorb you all the day. But when the evening tails, and skies grow g<av Then will I come io you from tar away. And though no voice of mine shall reach your ear, Yet will you know that I am very near, For I will bring to yon I hold so dear. Knowledge of Love that conquers death and tear. With silent courage work the livelong day. Nor pause to sorrow, as you go awav. Knowing, when evening comes and skies grow grav, J tear, 1 will come to you from far away Every time a thought of war en ters a mind just so much energy goes In the wrong direction. Forts are out of dale: they keep the idea of war in mind, but in this age of airships they afford no pro tection whatever. Why not sweep them away and us.- the precious land on which they are built for more useful purposes? A colossal statue of peace would be an exalting and uplifting ideal for ttie throng to hold In mind as they pass through the Panama ca nal. It would not bring universal peace to the world the day it was placed there. Rut it would aid the world to think of peace. Madame Caroline Severance, the mother of clubs in America, is a fit ting representative of this idea. All Hail to Peace Statue At Entrance to Canal. She Is past the 90-year mark and brilliant of mind and magnetic of personality still. She has witnessed wonderful changes in the world since she first cam- on the scene of action. When she instituted a club she was re garded as an unsexed creature, and it reciuired great courage to go on with her ideal. All hail to this latest and best ideal, the statue of peace, to be plac ed in the c ntrance of the Pana ma canal. THE HOME PAPER Q Dorothy Dix Writes -OF- Telling Wives About Their ‘ Husbands ?■ -AND- Z7; z How Such Tales T Bring Only Misery By DOROTHY DIX A CERTAIN woman knows a married man whom she sees out, now and again, at theaters and restaurants tn com pany with a fiashy-looking girl wearing many near-diamonris, and exaggerated clothes, and peroxided hair. The married man is always play ing the devoted to the painted lady and looks idiotically pleased and flattered, and as If he had had a lit tle too much to drink, and his fe male companion has about her all of the expression of the cat-that is about to dine upon the canary. Now. the married man has at home a dear little wife and babies, and the woman who sees him in dulging In forbidden pleasures wants to know if it isn’t her duty to go and tell his wife. NO A THOUSAND TIMES NO. Blasted and accursed he the tongue that bears the tale of a husband's shortcomings to his wife. What good could possibly come of telling a woman that her hus band Is in love with another wom an. or Is making himself a fool over another woman? No woman is so ignorant of life as to think that there is anything that the wife can do to better the situation. There is no household remedy for un faithfulness. There is no known specific for keeping a wandering husband nailed to his own fireside if he has a roving disposition. Whether a wife knows where her husband is and what he Is doing, or only suspects it. or is utterly de ceived about it, has no more effect on his conduct than the weather prophecies have on the weather. We may know it is going to rain tomorrow, but our knowledge won’t prevent it from raining. Wife’s Tears Won’t Keep Husband From Wrong. A wife’s knowing that her hus band is fllrta'tious. and that while she's walking the baby with the colic at “fiome he is opening wine for chorus girls, will not stop him from doing it. Neither will her tears nor her re proaches. because if he considered her feelings in the matter he would be treading the strait and narrow way instead of dallying on the primrose path. Neither can the most jealous wife alive chaperon her husband every minute of his time, o-r keep him under lock and key. So a hat possible good can come of telling her of conditions that she can not change, and the knowledge of which can only bring her mis ery ? s Suppose the wife is really igno rant of her husband's sidestepping. Suppose she believes him when he tells her that the reason he didn’t get home until 2 o'clock in the morning was because he had to see a customer from Oshkosh, or there was some special work at the office that had to be done that very night. Suppose the wife is happy and contented in the faith that her husband is as true to h> r as she is to him. and that she is ihe only woman in the world to him as he is the only man to lyr Is not that ignorame tlw bliss of which the poet wrote.’ l a jt part of a friend to shake that faith? Could anything be crueler than to waken such a woman up out of her dream of happiness? Let Her Believe in Him As Long As She Can. For heaven's sake, for pity’s sake, let her stay in her hypnotic trance as long as she can. Let her believe in her husband as long as she can. Let her trust him as long as she can. Why, every day I sec a woman who has made a little tin god of a miserable little two-by-four, shal low brained, selfish, conceited coxs comb of a husband w hom she wor ships for attributes he never pos sessed. and I would put my hand in the fire before I would raise a finger to tear down her altar. Love can not live without illu sion, and there is no greater crime than to strip the. halo from her husband’s head and exhibit a man to his wife as he really is. Nor is there any other such vandalism as destroying faith in her husband in a wife’s heart. But suppose a woman does know that her husband is faithless to her. Suppose she hides the bitter secret from the world, and puts up a brave and courageous bluff of ig norance, why call her hand? Do you not realize that for her to know that the world knows her shame, that her friends pity her, and that casual acquaintances smile at her with cynical amusement, adds tne last drop of wormwood and gall to her cup of sorrow? It is a hard thing for a womatt to bear to know that she has lost her husband's love, that he is weary of her, and that ho finds other women more attractive, but it is harder still to have it forced home on her that other p< opie know it, and for this reason, if for no other, malice itself might hesitate to go to a wife with the story of her husband’s flirtations. There are many women who have pride and strength oji.cigh to keep up a brave face, and to stand with their backs against the doors of their skeleton closets defying any body to guess what rattling bones are hidden within it. \V e might well take off our bonmis before st.ch gallantry, and at least pny such courage the tribute of our si- Ipiicp. Tale-Bearer Becomes First Aid to Divorce. 'l'll’’ only tangible eff, , t of t” a woman v itli the evidence of her husband'.- shortcomings is l 0 precipitate a family row. and to be a first aid to At..,. Surely no woman who calls herself the friend of another woman can want to do a thing like that. Nor doc s such a revelation lend to promote iiffection in the unfortunate wife's breast, for there are none whom we hate so thoroughly tb.os. who tell ns the things we woul,; rather die than hear. There is no possible excuse for anybod.v telling a woman of her husband's faults, if s | 1e is jpn ,'. rant of them, what st le doesn't know doesn't trouble |,,., )r shp does know it adds to her liumiiia lion and sorrow to realize that oth er people scoff at the weaknesses of the man she loves it is not a sense of duty, nut malice, and all tin. haritahleness th,at prompts anybody to hi ~ t; ( le-im,i le r be tween husband and wife.