The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-18

which. though pernicious In principle, promise
sDeodv fortune, Invites his aid, and offers him
/. temptin0 ahare in the magnificent proceeds.
Fose and luxury are In his reach Nobody
viii be particularly injured by the project, It
Is whispered, although II cannot be precisely
reconciled with sound morality Can the poor
laborer shut his eyes TO the dazzling vision,
and not only say "No," to the tempter, but
characterize the speculation as Il deseryesp
Look around you, and say how many men
Of your acquaintance could prefer honest
poverty to riches thus pro1ered, and denOunce
the wrongful scheme at the expense Of q
friend. Suppose the young man enters upon
the 6eld ofpolitics. He Is ambitious Of dis
tinctlon, and u confident Of his qualifications
for office. He has certain convictions Of what
is right in public policy But his views are
not popular, nor have they the sanction Of
men Oflnnuence in the bestowal Of office. He
is offered high position If he will either re-
nounce his principles or express his adhesion
to a policy which he Is satisfied is weak or
wicked.
Can our young politician reject the alluring
tender, sti1e his aspirations, remain true 10
his convictions, and live on in obscurity?
Cast your eye over this broad Republic, or
scrutinize your immediate locality, and show
us the man who has done this, and we win
show you one whose merit is so singular that
he deserves a statue. Our public offices are
the slaughter-houses of honest purpose. The
men who would "rather be right than Presi-
dent" may be numbered upon the fingers ora
hand.
In winter orpervading distress, mark the
terrible test Of a laborers honesty. He is
strong, industrio and able to work, yet he
can find no employment that will give him an
opportunity Of earning a cent. His wife and
children are freezing and starving in his
dreary home, and he has become desperate.
At the next grocery and the coal-yardhe knows
that, with little caution, he can help himself
to provisions and fuel, without much risk OF
detection. Shall he procure this relief, or sit
down and let those he loves 30 dearly perish
before his. ..eyes2 Dire necessity might excuse
the crime. Never can the tempter come with
more irresistible recommendation. Yet the
| truly honest man would see his wife and little
ones sink in DEATH and stretch his own limbs
| for the grave, rather than steal herring or a
piece Of coal.
In the same season, also, we have seen the
| rigorous trial Of the merchants honesty,
While hundreds, whose business was pros
trated by financial storm, have continued to
maintain palatial homes, and position in "the
best society" at the expense Of their creditors,
we have observed one man, struck by the
same blow, giving up everything, even his
household furniture, to raise the means to pay
his notwithstanding from priucely luxury to
absolute poverty, only happy to be assured OF
the approval of pure conscience.
Such sacrifices make heroes of men, crown
ing them with rarer and more unading laurels
than those which deck the brow of the victor
upon battlefield. In view Of the constant
conflicts with the most potent temptations into
} which the man who determines to keep his
faith with conscience must enter, and the
rarity of a complete triumph, let us write
again the golden line,
"An honest mans the noblest work Of God"