Sharp County record., 1888-03-29


iardor and with the other it bles59s tue
borrower. The bank was born OF Cu9
worlds necessities, and is Veneraole VIII
+ba mark, of the thousands OF years No
bundrad wears before Christ the BANK OIL
linn existed and paid its dapo5ltorS ten
ner cent The Bank of Venice was eS'ao-
iished in Ill. and was Of Suc1 hign creuiO
that If, hills were at a premium above
coins which were frequently cllpPed'
Rank of Genoa. founded il l3to; BANK OIL
Barcelona, 14)1; Bank of AmiI truani'
1899. Bank of Hamburg, founded 1912 lCS
circulation lased on great silver bars k9p5
in the vaults; Bank Of Eaglan d, started
bv William Patterson IN Iof-'
mn 70 this day managing tne
stunendou7 debt of Elg'anl; Bank
of Scotland, founded in l59o; BANK
of Ireland, 1888; Bank Of North America,
planned by Robert Morris I'LL without
whose financial help all the bravery OF
our grandfathers would nothaye acnIeVeu
American independence. But now we
have banks in all our cities ana Uo"h''
thousands and thousands. On their
shorldars are the interests Of private IN
dividuals and great corporations III
them are the great arteries through Wnicn
run the currents of the Nations llLe' Ihey
bave been the resources Of the thousands
Of fnanciers in days of business exlgency'
Thev stand for accommodation, Lor
facility, for individual State ana VA
tional relief. At their head and in their
management there is as much interest
and moral worth as in any class or men
perhaps more. How nefarious, theh' tne
behavior of those who bring disrepute
up0n this venerable, benignant and TOD
honored institution.
We also dep'ore abuse of trust funds
bacause thew fv in the face of that divine
goodness which seems determined to bless
this land. We are having the eighth year
of unexampIed National harvest. Inc
wheat gamblers get hold of the wheat,
and the corn gamblers get hold OF the
corn. The full tide of Gods mercy toward
this land is put back by those great dlkeS
NJ dishonest resistance. When God pro-
vides enough food and clothing to teed
and apparel this whole Nation like princes,
the scrabble Of dishonest men to get more
than their share, and get it at all hazards,
keeps every thing shaking with uncer-
taintv and every body asking, what
next? Every week makes new rev
elations. How many more pahA
presidents and bank cashiers have
been speculating with other peoples
money, and how many bank directors are
in imbecile silence letting the pertldy go
on, the great and patient God only knows !
Nv opinion is that we have got near the
bottom. The wind has beer pricked from
the great bubble of American speculation
The men who thought that the Judgment
dav was at least five thousand years or,
found it in 1888 1887, 1886; and this Nation
has been taught that men must keep
their hands oat Of other peoples pockets.
Great businesses built on borrowed capital
have been oblterated and men who had
nothing have lost all they had. believe
we are started on a higher career Of pros
peritv than this land has ever seen, If,
and if. and if.
If the first men, and especially Christian
men, will learn never to speculate upon
borrowed capital. II you have mind to
take your own money and turn it all into
kites, to fly them over every commons in
the United States, you do society no
wrong, except when you tumble your
HELPLESS children into the poor house for
the public to take care Of But you have
no right to take the money OF Others and
turn it into kites. There is one word that
has deluded more people into bankruptcy
and State prison and perdition than any
other word in commerc al life, and that is
the word borrow; that one word is re-
sponsible for all the defalcations, and
embezzlements, and financial consterna-
tions of the last twenty years. When
executors conclude to speculate with the
funds of an estate committed to their
charge, they do not pur'oin, they say
they only borrow; when banker makes
an overdraft upon his institution, he
does not commit q theft, he only borrows.
Why, when you are going to do wrong,
pronounce so long a word as borrow, a
word of six letters, when you can get a
shorter word more descriptive of the
reality, word of only five letters, the
word steal?
There are times when we all borrow
and borrow legitimately, aud borrow with
the divine blessing, for Christ in his SER
mon on the mount enjoins from him
that would borrow of thee turn not thou
away" A young man rightly borrows
money to get his education. Purchasing
a house and not able to pay all down in
cash, the purchaser rightly bOrrows it on
mort gage. Crises come in business when
it would be wrong for a man not to bor-
row. But I roll this warning through all
these aisles, over the backs of all these
pews, never borrow to speculate;
not dollar, not a cent, not farthing.
If l had only wo Idly weapon to use
on this subj ect, l would give you the fact,
fresh from the highest authority, that
ninety per cent of hose who 90 into
speculation in Wall street lose all; but |
have better warning than a worldly
warning. From the place where men have
perished-body, mind and Soul-stand off,
stand off! Abstract pulpit discussion
must step aside on this question. Faith
and repentance are absolutely necessary,
but faith and repentance are no more
doctrines of the Bible than commercial
integrity. Render to all their dues. Owe
no man any thing. And while | mean to
preach faith and repentance, more and
more to preach them, do not mean to
spend any time in chasing the Httites and
Jebusites and Girgas shites of Bible times
when there are somany evils right around
us destroying men and women for time