The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-09-17
TWO STANDARDS.

The world has the right to measure
a man by the standards he has volun-
tarily created and publicly declared. 1t
takes it for granted that he is sincere.
1t would be unjust to believe other
wise. If he announces no standard,
there can be no more comment on his
obligations than upon the involuntary
obligations which lie upon all men.
The man who has publicly created
a standard Of conduct for himself, chal-
lenges the world to hold him up 10 it,,
just as the poet challenges the world to
measure his poetry, and he who plays
the violin challenges his audience to
compare his execution with that Of the
musical standards. There is this re-
maining-that when death seals his
lips, those who review his professions
are bound 10 the utmost impartiality.
If one voluntarily chooses to become
the disciple of Him, who declared that
it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than it is for a rich
man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
he openly challenges the world to
measure his services, while living, and
after his death his record. He invites
men to become spectators of his efforts
to reach the Kingdom in spite of
measureIess obstacles.
When the Master said, Let your
light so shine, ETC. was it, or was it
not a divine command that the follower
hold up his life for rigid inspection?
When a man voluntarily, and in his
sane moments, declares before the
world that he will love his neighbor as
he loves himself, he challenges criti- |
cism, especially if the incident of sud
den wealth puts him in a very awk- |
ward situation. The world holds man |
to his contracts in business affairs. Is |
he to be absolved from contracts in
volving divine affairs?
As the world grows older, and it's
humanity broadens, it looks to deeds
rather than creeds. In spite of all
preaching it estimates that which is
done. and not that which is professed.
God, in his infinite wisdom, puts be-
fore his creatures many contrasts.
Here is one of them:
Last January the semi-centennary of
Girard College was celebrated in Phil I
adelphia Girard, a Frenchman, a fol-
lower of Voltaire and Rosseau, a pro
fessed infidel,' left $8,0OO,OOO for the
education of orphan boys. The fund I
hn of con nm |
900. The college that he founded is one {
of the most richly endowed in the
world In 1896, seventeen hundred I
boys, all orphans, were within it's 5
walls Five thousand homeless, father c
less boys have been fed, educated and t
given start in life, since it opened. s
Girard declared by his will that no 1
of the gospel should ever pass G
the college doors. He had freely fur r
lished food to Washington's starry '
ing army. When, in 1914 the British f
had burned the Capitol, and the Gov
eminent asked for a loan of $4,000 900 i
and offered a bonus of 80 per cent, e
only $4,000 was subscribed after a G
long canvass. coming 10 the TeSCues | I
Girard took the entire balance. When a
was scourged by yellow
fever in 1898, this 'infidel," carried the s
victims of the fever in his own arms to t
his carriage, and took them to the hos r
Ditals He left $4,000 to his relatives 7
so that they were made comfortable. {
The only comment on this that may s
here be cited are the words of a dis
Linguished scholar of Philadelphia who ;
said some years ago that mo Ameri- [
can had done so much real Christian i
as that crotchety French /
man, Girard In fact he had set i
standard of enlightened love for his :
leighbor that the Christian literature
If America did not present"
Perhaps it IS a wicked world that
notices these singular discrepancies in
human conduct. While it fails itself to
i've up to what it comedies are just and
righteous standards, it smiles when men
and publicly give their pro-
nissory notes to Heaven for all of their
possessions, payable on demand, but
shave" them at ninety-nine
ents on the dollar.
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