Famous Givers and Their GiftsBolton, Sarah Knowles
History
Famous Givers and Their Gifts
Bolton, Sarah Knowles
Philanthropists
Of course money is sometimes so tied up in business that it cannot be
given during a man's life; "yet," says Mr. Carnegie, "the day is not far
distant when the man who dies leaving behind him millions of available
wealth, which was free for him to administer during life, will pass away
'unwept, unhonored, and unsung,' no matter to what uses he leaves the
dross which he cannot take with him. Of such as these the public verdict
will then be, 'The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.'"
He believes large estates left at death should be taxed by the State, as
is the case in Pennsylvania and some other States. Mr. Carnegie does
not favor large gifts left to families. "Why should men leave great
fortunes to their children?" he asks. "If this is done from affection,
is it not misguided affection? Observation teaches that, generally
speaking, it is not well for the children that they should be so
burdened. Neither is it well for the State. Beyond providing for the
wife and daughters moderate sources of income, and very moderate
allowances indeed, if any, for the sons, men may well hesitate; for it
is no longer questionable that great sums bequeathed often work more for
the injury than for the good of the recipients. There are instances of
millionnaires' sons unspoiled by wealth, who, being rich, still perform
great services to the community. Such are the very salt of the earth, as
valuable as unfortunately they are rare." Again Mr. Carnegie says of
wealth left to the young, "It deadens their energies, destroys their
ambition, tempts them to destruction, and renders it almost impossible
that they should lead lives creditable to themselves or valuable to the
State. Such as are not deadened by wealth deserve double credit, for
they have double temptation."
In the _North American Review_ for December, 1889, Mr. Carnegie suggests
what he considers seven of the best uses for surplus wealth: The
founding of great universities; free libraries; hospitals or any means
to alleviate human suffering; public parks and flower-gardens for the
people, conservatories such as Mr. Phipps has given to the park at
Allegheny City, which are visited by thousands; suitable halls for
lectures, elevating music, and other gatherings, free, or rented for a
small sum; free swimming-baths for the people; attractive places of
worship, especially in poor localities. Mr. Carnegie's own great gifts
have been largely along the line which he believes the "best gift to a
community,"--a free public library. He thinks with John Bright that "it
is impossible for any man to bestow a greater benefit upon a young man
than to give him access to books in a free library."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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