I was greatly interested in that account in the newspaper of the young man who found that diamond in North Carolina.It was one of the purest diamonds that has ever been discovered,and it has several predecessors near the same locality.I went to a distinguished professor in mineralogy and asked him where he thought those diamonds came from.The professor secured the map of the geologic formationsof our continent,and traced it.He said it went either through the underlying carboniferous strata adapted for such production,westward through Ohio and the Mississippi,or in more probability came eastward through Virginia and up the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.It is a fact that the diamonds were there,for they have been discovered and sold;and that they were carried down there during the drift period,from some northern locality.Now who can say but some person going down with his drill in Philadelphia will find some trace of a diamond-mine yet down here?Oh,friends!you cannot say that you are not over one of the greatest diamond-mines in the world,for such a diamond as that only comes from the most profitable mines that are found on earth.
But it serves simply to illustrate my thought,which I emphasize by saying if you do not have the actual diamond-mines literally you have all that they would be good for to you.Because now that the Queen of England has given the greatest compliment ever conferred upon American woman for her attire because she did not appear with any jewels at all at the late reception in England,it has almost done away with the use of diamonds anyhow.All you would care for would be the few you would wear if you wish to be modest,and the rest you would sell for money.
Now then,I say again that the opportunity to get rich,to attain unto great wealth,is here in Philadelphianow,within the reach of almost every man and woman who hears me speak tonight,and I mean just what I say.I have not come to this platform even under these circumstances to recite something to you.I have come to tell you what in God's sight I believe to be the truth,and if the years of life have been of any value to me in the attainment of common sense,I know I am right;that the men and women sitting here,who found it difficult perhaps to buy a ticket to this lecture or gathering tonight,have within their reach"acres of diamonds,"opportunities to get largely wealthy.There never was a place on earth more adapted than the city of Philadelphia to day,and never in the history of the world did a poor man without capital have such an opportunity to get rich quickly and honestly as he has now in our city.I say it is the truth,and I want you to accept it as such;for if you think I have come to simply recite something,then I would better not be here.I have no time to waste in any such talk,but to say the things I believe,and unless some of you get richer for what I am saying tonight my time is wasted.
I say that you ought to get rich,and it is your duty to get rich.How many of my pious brethren say to me,"Do you,a Christian minister,spend your time going up and down the country advising young people to get rich,to get money?""Yes,of course I do."Theysay,"Isn't that awful!Why don't you preach the gospel instead of preaching about man's ****** money?""Because to make money honestly is to preach the gospel."That is the reason.The men who get rich may be the most honest men you find in the community.
"Oh,"but says some young man here tonight,"I have been told all my life that if a person has money he is very dishonest and dishonorable and mean and contemptible."My friend,that is the reason why you have none,because you have that idea of people.The foundation of your faith is altogether false.Let me say here clearly,and say it briefly,though subject to discussion which I have not time for here,ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men of America are honest.That is why they are rich.That is why they are trusted with money.That is why they carry on great enterprises and find plenty of people to work with them.It is because they are honest men.
Says another young man,"I hear sometimes of men that get millions of dollars dishonestly."Yes,of course you do,and so do I.But they are so rare a thing in fact that the newspapers talk about them all the time as a matter of news until you get the idea that all the other rich men got rich dishonestly.
My friend,you take and drive me-—if you furnish the auto-—out into the suburbs of Philadelphia,andintroduce me to the people who own their homes around this great city,those beautiful homes with gardens and flowers,those magnificent homes so lovely in their art,and I will introduce you to the very best people in character as well as in enterprise in our city,and you know I will.A man is not really a true man until he owns his own home,and they that own their homes are made more honorable and honest and pure,and true and economical and careful,by owning the home.
For a man to have money,even in large sums,is not an inconsistent thing.We preach against covetousness,and you know we do,in the pulpit,and oftentimes preach against it so long and use the terms about"filthy lucre"so extremely that Christians get the idea that when we stand in the pulpit we believe it is wicked for any man to have money-—until the collection-basket goes around,and then we almost swear at the people because they don't give more money.Oh,the inconsistency of such doctrines as that!
