The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-25


all that story about the whale swal-
lowing Jonah, or Jonah swallowing the
whale, which was 1t? 1t don't make
any difference, the thing is absurd; it
is ridiculous to suppose that a man
could have gone through the jaws of a
sea monster and yet kept his life; why,
his respiration would have been him
dered; he would have been digested;
the gastric juice would dissolved the
fbrine 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 o. sir, l
believe in the light of nature This is
the nineteenth century. Progress, sir,
progress. 1 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 q
lery of scorn. They are giving up their
Bibles. The light of nature! They
have the light of nature in China;
they have it in Hindostan; they
have it in Ceylon. Flowers there; stars
there; waters there; winds there; but
no civilization, no homes, no happiness
Lancets to cut and juggernauts to fall
under, and hooks to swing on; but no
happiness. tell you my young
brother, we have to take religion of
some kind. We have to choose between
four or five. Shall 1t be the Koran of
the Mohammedan, or the Shaster of
the Hindoo, or the Zendavesta of the
Persian, or the Confucius writings of the
Chinese, or the holy Scripture? Take
what you will; God helping me, will
take the Bible. Light for all dark
ness; rock for all foundations; balm for
all wounds
Young man, hold on to your Bible.
1t is the best book you ever owned 1t
will tell you how to dress, how to bar
gain, how to walk, hoY 60 act, how to
live, how to die Glorious Rible!
whether on parchment or paper, in
octave or duodecimo, 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 itl
The second class of insidious tempta-
tions that comes upon our young men
is led on by the dishonest employer.
Every commercial establishment is a
school. In nine cases out of ten, the
principles of the employer become the
principles of the employe. l ask the
older merchants to bear me out in these
statements If. when you were just
starting in life, in commercial life, you
were told that honesty was not mar
ketable, that though you might sell all
the goods in the shop. you must not
sell your conscience, 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 combustible, 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 a precaution and a help
ever since. There are hundreds of
cities which are educating a class of
young men who will be the honor of
the laad, and there other establish
ments which are educating young men
to be nothing but sharpers What |
chance is there for a young man who |
was taught in an establishment that it |
is right to lie, if it is smart, and that |
French label is all that is necessary to |
make a thing French, and that you |
ought always to be honest when it |
pays, and that it is wrong to steal un-
less you do it well? Suppose, now, a
young man just starting in life enters
place of that kind where there are ten
young men, all drilled in the infamous |
practices Of the establishment. He is
,eady to be taught. The young man
las no theory of commercial ethics
Where Is he to get his theory? He will
yet the theory from his employers
)ne day he pushes his wit little be-
yond what the establishment demands
If him, and he heeces a customer until
he clerk Is on the verge of being seized
,y the law. What is done in the estab-
ishment? He is not arralgned. The
read of the establishment says to him:
Now, be careful; be careful, young
nan, you might be caught; but really
hat was splendidly done; you will get
long in this world, 1 warrant you"
Then that young man goes up until
ne becomes head clerk. He has found
here is premium on iniquity. One
morning the employer comes to the
He goes into his count
ng room and throws mp his hands and
houts: 'Why, the safe has been
obbed!" What is the matter? Moth
ng, nothing; only the clerk who has
,een practicing a good while on Gus
omers is practicing little on the en-
'loyer. No new principle introduced
nto that establishment. 1t is a poor
ule that will not work both ways
Iou must never steal unless you can
o it we'll He did it well. 1 am not
alking an abstraction; i am talking a
errible and crushing fact
Now here is young man Look at
i'm to-day. Look at him five years
rom now, after he has been under
rial in such an establishment Here
e stands in the shop to-day, his cheeks
uddy with the breath of the hills. He
nrolls the goods on the counter in
entlemanly style. He commands them
D the purchaser He points out all the
ooi points in the fabric. He effects
ne sale. The goods are wrapped up
nd he dismisses the customer with
heerful good morning." and the
ountry merchant departs so impressed
nth the straightforwardness of that
oung man that he will come again
nd again every spring and every au-
lmn unless interfered with.
The young man has been now in that '