The Globe-republican., 1891-12-31

N
but got over it; the fact is, since came
to town I have read great deal, and I
have found that there are great many
things In the Bible that are ridiculous.
Now, for instance, all that about the
serpent being cursed to crawl in the
Garden OF Eden because it had tempted
our first parents; why, you see how
absurd 1t is; you can tell from the very
organization of the serpent that it had to
crawl; 1t crawled before it was cursed
just as well as it crawled afterward; you
can tell from its organization that 1t
crawled. Then all that story about the
whale swallowing Jonah. or Jonah swal-
lowing the whale, which was it? ltdon't
make any difference, the thing is absurd;
1t IS ridiculous to suppose that q man
could have gone down through the ia rs
OF sea monster and yet kept his life;
why. his respiration would have been
hindered; he would have been digested;
the gastric juice would have dissolved
the fibrine and coagulated albumen. and
Jonah would have been changed from
prophet into chyle. Then all that story
about the miraculous conception-why.
it is perfectly disgraceful. Oh, sir! l
believe in the light of nature. This is
the Nineteenth century. Progress, sir;
progress. don't blame you, but after
you have been in town as long as have
YOU will think just as do"
Thousands of young men are going
down under that process day by day, and
there is only here and there young man
who can endure this artillery of scorn.
They are giving up their Bibles. The
light OF nature! They have the light of
nature in China; they have it in Hindo-
stan; they have it in Ceylon. Flowers
there, stars there, waVers there, winds
there, but no civilization, no homes, no
happiness. Lancets to cut and jugger-
nauts to fall under and hooks to swing
on, but no happiness.
Young man, hold on to your Bible. It
is the best book you ever owned. 1t will
tell you how to dress, how to bargain,
how to walk, how to act, how to live,
how to die. Glorious Bible! Whether
on parchment or paper, in octave or
on the center table of the
drawing-room or in the counting room
of the banker. Glorious Bible! Light
to our feet and lamp to our path. Hold
on to it!
The second class of insidious tempta-
tions that comes upon our young men IS
led on by the dishonest employer. Every
establishment is school. IL
nine cases out of ten the principles of
the employer become the principles of
the employee. / ask the older mer-
chants to bear me out in these state
ments. If, when you were just starting
in life-in commercial life-you were told
that honesty was not marketable; that,
though you might sell all the goods in
the shop, you must not sell your con-
science; that, while you were to exercise
all industry and tact, you were not to
sell your conscience: if you were taught
that gains gotten by sin were combusLi-
bic, and at the moment of ignition would
be blown on by the breath of God until
all the splendid estate would vanish into
white ashes scattered in the whirlwind,
then that instruction has been to you q
precautiOn and help ever since.
There are hundreds of commercial es-
adjustments in our great cities which
are educating class of young men vino
will be the honor OF the land, and there
are other establishments which are edu-
eating young men to be nothing but
sharpers. What chance is there for a
young man who was taught in an estab-
lishment that it is right to lie, if it is
smart. and that French label is all
that is necessary to make thing French,
and that you ought always to be honest
when it pays, and that it is wrong to
steal unless you do it we'll?
Suppose, now, a young man just start
ing in life, enters place of that kind
where there are ten young men, all
drilled in the Infamous practices OF the
establishment. He is ready to be
taught. The young man has no theory
Of commercial ethics Where is he to
get bis theory? He will get the theory
from his employers. One day he pushes
his wit little beyond what the establish
ment demands of him, and he fleeces a
customer until the clerk is on the verge
Of being seized by the law. What is done
in the establishment? He is not ar
raigned. The head of the establishment
says to him, ''Now, be careful; be care
ful, young man, YOU might be caught;
but really that was splendidly done; you
will get along in the world, l warrant
Tou." Then that young man goes up un-
til he becomes head clerk. He has found
here is a premium on iniQuity.
One morning the employer comes to
The establishment. He goes into his
room and throws up his hands
Ind shouts. "Why, the safe has been
.obbed!" What is the matter? Moth
ng; only the clerk who has been prac-
icing good while on customers is prac-
icing little on the employer. No new
introduced into that establish
nent. 1t is a poor rule that will not
work both ways. You must never steal
Unless you can do it well. He did it we'll.
am not taking an abstraction; l am
aking terrible and crushing fact.
Now here is a young man. Look at
lin to-day. Look at him five years
rom now, after he has been under trial
n such an establishment. Here he
tands in the shop to-day, his cheeks
'uddy with the breath of the hills He
lnrOlIs the goods on the counter in gen.
style. He commends them to
he purchaser. He points out all the
rood points in the fabric. He effects the
ale. The goods are wrapped up. and |
le dismisses the customer with a cheer |
ul ''goOd morning." and the country
merchant departs so impressed with the !
traightforwardness of the young man
l.