The Osceola times., 1884-10-18
rNPAlTHRUL STEWARDSHIP.
Extract from . sermon on the Subject by
Rev. DIR. Talmage.

Rev. DIR. Talmage.
The columns Of our custom houses, the
porches of our national and state capitols
draped in black, all the flags at half mast,
for tae dead United States treasurer
AT sixty-six years of age he died without
a spot upon his reputation. Although
much of his life had been spent amid
temptations, amid all the allurements Of
the legal profession, amid opportunity Of
kribe-taking on the judicial bench, for
three years holding the purse Of the ma
ton, vet not a penny sticking to his
hands, aud in his dying hour he asks an
attendant to take from the left pocket OF
his coat check and get it cashed imme-
diately, so that he meets the expenses of
his own obse4Iies with his own hand,
paying his way all through life by hard
work, and paying his own admission fee
at the door Of the sepulchre. All his ae-
counts square with the United States gov
ernment, square with the world, and, |
iopV, rHuhit WIN pou'
What glorious background to the
picture Of the present epidemic Of swind-
lers he draws for us. There has not been
| a time in my memory, or in yours, when
there ha. been such black Irresponsible
| ty demonstrated among those who have
charge of the finances of Others. This
unroofng of banks; this disappearance
| of administrators with the funds of large
estates this disorder in post-office ac-
counts this dishonesty among United
States officials this pestilence of crime,
as If there was abroad a siroon, ty-
| phoon, siIocco of vice. And things in
this regard are worse and worse. some
times ask myself if it would not be better
for men making wills to bequeath their
money to the executors and officers Of
the court, and then appoint the relatives
. committee to see that these people got
all which did not belong to them.
(Laughter.l There are men, you know
them, know them thet sail beautiful
yachts; that drive fast horses I; that would
not be worth dollar if they returned to
others their Just dues. A crash comes,
there are reverses and the man fails and
retires from the world and seems about
to go into monastic life but in two or
three wears he blossoms out again, hav-
ing compromised with his creditors
that il, paid them nothing but regrets
and the only difference in him is that
now in his picture gallery he has
Raphaels and Murillos where formerly
he had the pictures Of less distinguished
artists his Yacht is larger one, his
horses make mile in five seconds less
time, and instead of one country seat he
has three.
Nine out of ten oft failures in what
* called "high life" leave men with more
money after the failure than they had
before. Their failure is only stratagem
to get rid of honest debt and put the
world off the track while they introduce
more stupendous swindle. 1t is most
appalling tnat these things are possible.
blame the directors of banks when the
cashier steals their funds. Directors
either have part of the infamy, anu take
their share of the plunder, or they are
guilty OF negligence for which God will
bold them as responsible as he holds the
acknowledged defaulter. am speaking
of one of the monstrous evils that needs
TO be put before the Christian church.
Let the five thousand directors of banks
and moneyed institutions resign or at
tend to their business. Just so long as
fraud is 50 easy in business life there
will be plenty of criminals. When you
arrest president or a cashier you want
plenty of sheriffs out that day TO arrest
all the directors. They are all guilty
either of neglect or completely if the en-
bezzlement be going on three, four or
five years and they know nothing about
it. "Oh," says one, "you wan: to preach
the gospel and let business men alone.''
My answer is, if your gospel will not an
swer to common honesty the sooner you
close up ySIr gospel and throw it into
the ocean the better Applause.l An
orthodox swindler is worse than hetero-
dox swindler.
At 10 O'Clock on the first Wednesday of
next November this nation will begin TO
ascend into higher prosperity and have
grander career than it has ever run if
and if-and if-if men, especially
Christian men, will stop specializing with
borrowed money. Ifyou want to, take
your own money and go kite flying with
1t, putting it into pipes and blowing soap
bubbles with it; you may, without harm
ing anybody much, unless your children
have to go into poor ho,~ses in conse.
auence and become a charge on the COM
nunity but you have no right TO take
other peoples money and turn it into
kites or put il into soap-bubbles. There
is one word that has broken down more
people than any other word, and that
word is borrow. When an executor takes
money, he only borrows it. When the
cashier makes an ov,r-draft he borrows.
Some man of giant limb should stand on
the curbstone at the head Of Wall street
and in the shadow of Trinity church, and
when that word comes along kick it
clean down to the ferry. II is high time
that people learned that it was death TO
borrow for speculative purposes. Young
men young men warn you, by your
worldly prospects, never borrow TO spec.
ulate. Ninety per cent. of those who 20
into speculation in Wall street lose all
1t is forbidden by ali dictates of religion
and religion is not a sanctified caramel,
holy gum drop; ii is an earnest bust.
ness and must go with you into all yeur
daily lives. '.."