My own conversion to the feeling that an organized plan was an
absolute necessity came about in this way.
About the year 1890 I was still following the haphazard fashion of
giving here and there as appeals presented themselves. I investigated
as I could, and worked myself almost to a nervous break-down in
groping my way, without sufficient guide or chart, through this
ever-widening field of philanthropic endeavour. There was then forced
upon me the necessity to organize and plan this department of our
daily tasks on as distinct lines of progress as we did our business
affairs; and I will try to describe the underlying principles we
arrived at, and have since followed out, and hope still greatly to
extend.
It may be beyond the pale of good taste to speak at all of such a
personal subject--I am not unmindful of this--but I can make these
observations with at least a little better grace because so much of
the hard work and hard thinking are done by my family and associates,
who devote their lives to it.
Every right-minded man has a philosophy of life, whether he knows it
or not. Hidden away in his mind are certain governing principles,
whether he formulates them in words or not, which govern his life.
Surely his ideal ought to be to contribute all that he can, however
little it may be, whether of money or service, to human progress.
Certainly one's ideal should be to use one's means, both in one's
investments and in benefactions, for the advancement of civilization.
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