Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-05-26

| before sentence Oh OSdLu Was pdSScu
upon him-"may it please the court
bad company has been my ruin. l re-
ceived the blessing Of good parents
and, in return, promised 20 avoid all
evil associations. Had 1 kept my prom
Use, / should have been saved this
shame, and been free from the load OF
guilt that hangs around me like yul-
I ture, threatening to drag me to justice
for crimes yet unrevealed. /, who once
moved in the first circles of society and
have been the guest of distinguished
public men, am lost, and all through
bad company"
This is but one Of the thousand
| proofs that evil associations blast and
| destroy. 1t is the invariable rule. There
| is we'll man in the wards of hospi-
tai, where there are hundred people
sick with ship fever, and ne will not be
so apt to take the disease as good man
would be apt to be smitten with moral
distemper, if shut up with Ubiquitous
companions. In olden times prisoners
were herded together in the same cell,
but each one learned the vices Of all the
culprits, so that, instead of being re-
| formed by incarceration, the day OF
| liberation turned them out upon So
ciety beasts, not men.
| We may, in our place Of business,
be compelled to talk to and mingle with
bad men: but he who deliberately
chooses to associate himself with vi
cious people, is engaged in carrying on
courtship with Delilah, whose
shears will clip off all the locks Of his
strength, and he will be tripped into
| perdition. Sin is catching, Is infectious,
is epidemic. / will let you look over
| the millions of people now inhabiting
the earth, and challenge you to show
| me a good man who, after one year,
has made choice and consorted with the
wicked. A thousand dollars reward for
one such instance. / care not how
strong your character may be. Go with
the corrupt and you will become cor
rupt Clan with burglars, and you will
| become a burglar. Go among the un-
clean, and you will become unclean.
| MANY q yOuh6o man Ids bCCA C5llOy GU
by not approaching this. He wakes up
some morning in the great city, and
| knows no one except the persons into
| whose employ he has entered. AS he
| goes into the store all the clerks mark
| him, measure him, and discuss him.
The upright young men of the store
| wish him we'll, but perhaps wait for a
| formal introduction, and even then
have some delicacy about inviting him
| into their associations. But the bad
young men of the store at first oppor-
tunity approach and offer their serv-
ices. They patronize him. They pro-
fess to know all about the town. They
will take him anywhere he wishes to
go-if he will pay the expenses. For If
good young man and bad young
man go to some place where they ought
not, the good young man has invaria-
bly, to pay the charges. At the moment
the ticket is paid for, or the champagne
settled for, the bad young man feels
around in his pockets and says, 81
| have forgotten my pocket-book." In
forty-eight hours after the young man
has entered the store the bad fellows OF
the establishment slap him on the
shoulder Familiarity and. at his stupid
| ity in taking certain illusions, say:
my young friend, you will have to be
broken in" and they Immediately pro-
coed to break him in. Young man, in
| the name of God, warn you to beware
La L. 4
with you. If such an one slap you on
| the shoulder Familiarity, turn around
and give him whitening look, until the
wretch crouches in your presence.
| There is no monstrOsity of wickedness
that can stand unabashed under the
| glance of purity and honor. God keeps
| the lightnings of heaven in his own
scabbard, and no human arm can WELD
them; but God gives to every young
man lightning that he may use, and
that is the lightning of an honest eye.
Those who have been close observers
of city life will not wonder why give
warning to young men, and say, Be
ware of evil companions"
/ warn you to shun the sceptic-the
young man who puts his fingers in his
vest and laughs at your old-fashioned
religion, and turns over to some mys-
terry of the Bible, and says, Explain
that, my pious friend, explain that"
And who says, Nobody shall scare me;
am not afraid of the future; l used
to believe in such things, and SO did
my father and mother, but / have got
over it." Yes, he has got over 1t; and II
you sit In his company little longer
you will get over it too. Without pre-
senting one argument against the Chris
tian religion, such men will, by their
jeers and SCOTS and caricatures, destroy
your respect for that religion, which
was the strength of your father in his
declining years, and the pillow OF your
old mother when she lay a-dying.
Alas! a time will come when this
clustering young infidel will have to
die, and then his diamond ring will
flash no splendor in the eyes of Death,
as he stands over the couch, waiting
flor his soul. Those beautiful loeks will