Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-17

part Of neglect or trickery will, each for
himself, receive a condemnation.
Unlawful dividends are not clean be-
fore God because there are those asso-
ciated with You who grab Just as big o
pile as you do. lie who eountenances
the dishonesty Of the firm, or of the cor
poration, or of the association, takes
upon himself all the moral liabilities.
IL the financial institution steals, he
steals. If they go into wild specula-
tions, he himself 10 o gambler. If they
needlessly embarrass n creditor, he him
self is guilty of cruelty. II they swim
die the uninitiated, he himself is a de-
frauder. No financial institution ever
had money vault strong enough, OF
credit stanch enough, or dividends large
enough. or policy acute enough to hide
the individual sins of its members. The
old adage, that corporations have no
souls, is misleading. Every corpora
tion has as many souls as it has mem-
bers.
Again, many business men have been
tempted to postpone their enjoyments
and duties to future season of entire
leisure. What q sedative the Christian
religion would be to all our business
men if, instead of postponingi its uses to
old age or death, they would take it into
the store or factory or worldly engage
ments nowl Il is folly to go amid the
uncertainties of business life with no
God to help.
A merchant in New England village
was standing by horse, and the horse
lifted his foot to stamp it in o pool of
water; and the merchant, to escape the
splash, stepped into the door of an in
surance agent, and the agent said, Il
suppose you have come to renew your
fire insurance2" oh" said the mer-
chant, I had forgotten thatP The in
surance was renewed, and the next day
the house that had been insured was
burned. Was it all accidental that the
merchant, to escape splash from the
horses foot, stepped into the insurance
office? No, it was providential. And
what mighty solace for business man
to feel that things are providentiall
What peace and equilibrium in such
consideration, and what a grand thing
if ell business men could realize it!
Many, although now comparatively
straitened in worldly circumstances,
have goodly establishment in the
future planned out. They have in inn
agination built about twenty years
ahead a house in the country not diff
cult of access from the great town, for
they will often have business, Ior old
accounts to settle, and investments to
look after. The house is large enough
to accommodate all their friends. The
halls are wide, and hung with pictures
Of hunting scenes and branch Of ant
lers, and are comfortable with chairs
hok ha cd Il.
when the weather is inviting, or set out
under some of the oaks that stand SEN
tihel about the house, and rustling in
the cool breeze, and songful with the
robins.
There ID just land enough to keep
them interested and it's crops of almost
fabulous richness springing up under
application of the best theories to be
found in the agricultural journals. The
farm is we'll stocked with cattle and
horses, and sheep that know the voice
and have kindly bleat when one goes
forth to look at them. In this blissful
abode their children will be instructed in
art and science and religion. This shall
be the old homestead to which the boys
at college will direct their letters, and
the hill on which the house stands will
be called Oakwood or Ivy Hill or Pleas
ant Retreat or Eagle Eyrie. May the
future have for every business man here
all that and more beside! But are you
postponing your happiness to that timer
Are you adjourning your joys to that
consummation2
The store and the counting house have
developed some of the most stalwart
characters. Perhaps originally they had
but little sprightliness and force, but
two or three hard business thumps woke
them up from their lethargy, and there
came thorough development in their
hearts of allthat was good and holy and
energetic and tremendous, and they have
become the front men in Christ's great
army, as well as lighthouses in the great
world of traffic. But business has been
perpetual depletion to many man. II
first pulled out of him all benevolence,
next all amiability, next ell religious
aspiration, next all conscience, and
though he entered his vocation with
large heart and noble character he
goes out of it a skeleton, enough to
scare ghost.
Men appreciate the Importance of
having good business stand, store on
the right side OF the street or the right
block. Now, every place of business is
good stand for spiritual culture. Gods
angels hover over the world Of traffic to
sustain and buildup those who are try
ing to do their duty. To-morrow, If in
your place Of worldly engagement you
will listen for it, you may hear a sound
louder than the rattle of drays and the
shuttle of feet and the chink of dollars
stealing into your soul, saying, Seek
We first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all other things shall
be added unto you.
Yet some of those sharpest at bar
gain are cheated out of their immortal
blessedness by stratagems more palpa-
BILE than any drop game" of the street.
They make Investments in things ever
lastingly below par. They put their
valuables in safe not fire proof. They
give full credit to influences that will
not be able to pay one cent on dollar.
They plunge into a labyrinth from which
no bankrupt law or stwo-thirds enact-
ment" will ever extricate them. They
take into their partnership the world,
the flesh and the devil, and the enemy
of all righteousness will boast through
eternal ages that the man WHO in all his
business life could not be outwitted or
overreached at last tumbled into spirit.
ual defalcation and was swindled out Of
Heaven.
Perhaps some of you saw the fire in
New York in 1885. Aged men tell as
that it beggared all description. Some
stood on the housetops Of Brooklyn,
and looked at the red ruin that swept
down the streets and threatened to OBJ
literate the metropolis. But the COM
mercial world will yet be startled BY d
oraatar cnnfiaoratinn axan the last