The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-08-17

ON i larger OF smaller scale, has the
PROPERTY Of others committed to his
keeping He is 50 I;!ra safety deposit,
he is an administrator and holds in his
hand the interest OF the family OF de-
ceased friend. or he is an attorney. and
through his custody goes the payment
from debtor to creditor, or he is the
collector for business house, which
compcnsates him for the responsibility.
or he is treasurer Tor charitahi" III
stitution. and he holds aims cont. outed
for the suffering, or ne is an o'titlal Of
the city or the state or the nation. and
taxes and subsidies and salaries ana
supplies are in his keeping.
There is not city that has not sui
fercd from the abuse of trust funds;
Where is the courthouse or the city hall
or the jail or the po>totficc or the hos
pital that in the building of It has not
had political job? Long before the
new courthouse in New York city was
completed it cost 81, 900. Five
million six hundred and sixty-threc
thousand dollars for furniture. For
plastcring and repairs. $50. coo: for
plumbing and gas works. 81: ~ ,oi':
for awnings. S233, 553, the bills for
three months coming to nice little sum
of Sl3. 81. 1889 There was not al
honest brick or stone or lath or nail or
loot of plumbing or inkstand or door
knob in the whole establishment.
That bad example was followed IN
many of the cities. which did not steal
quite so much because there was not so
much to steal. There ought to be Il
closer inspection, and there ought to be
less opportunity for embezzlement.
Lest man shall take u ) cent piece
that does rot belong to him. the conduc-
tor OH the city horse car muStSOund MS
bell ut every payment and We arc Very
cautious about small otfcnses. but give
plenty Of opportunities for sinners on L
large scale to escape-for 4 boy who
steals loaf of bread from 4 corner gro
Ger to keep his mother from starving to
death, prison, but for defrauders who
abscond with $500, 600, castle on the
Rhine, or, waiting until the offense Is
forgotten, castle on the Hudson.
Another remark needs to be made,
and that is that people ought not TO so
into places. into business or into posi-
tions where the temptation is mightlcr
than their character. If there be large
sums Of money to be handled, and the
man is not sure Of his own integrity,
you have no right to run an unscaworthy
craft in hurricane. y man can tell
by the sense Of weakness or strength IN
the presence OF bad opportunity whe-
ther he is in safe place. How many
parents make an awful mistake when
they put their boys in banking houses
and stores and shops and factories and
places of solemn trust without once dis
cussing whether they can endure the
temptation! You give the boy plenty
OF money and have no account Of 1t
and make the way down become very
easy and you may put upon him pres
sure that he cannot stand. There are
men who 90 into positions full Of temp
tation, considering only that they are
lucrative positions.
An abbot wanted to buy a piece OF
ground, and the owner would not sell 1t.
but the owner finally consented to let 1t
to him until he could raise one crop.
and the abbot sowed acorns-a crop OF
200 years, And I tell you, young man,
that the dishonesties WHICH you plant
in your heart and life will seem to be
very insignificant, but they will grow up
until they will overshadow You with
horrible darkness, overshadow all time
and all eternity. 1t will not be crop
for 200 years, but a cropfor everlasting
ages.
You have no right to use the property
of others except for their advantage,
nor without consent, unless they are
minors. If with their consent you in
vest their property as well as you can,
and it is all lost, You are not to blame.
You did the best you could, but do not
come into the delusion, which has ruined
so many men, of thinking because a
thing is in their possession, therefore 1t
is theirs. You have solemn trust that
God has given you.
In any community there may be some
who have misappropriated trust funds.
Put them back or, if you have so hope
lessly involved them that you cannot
put them back, confess the whole thing
to those whom you have wronged, and
you Will sleep better nights, and you
will have the better chance for your
soul. What q sad thing it would be if
after you are dead your administrator
should find out from the account books,
or from the lack Of vouchers, that You
were not only bankrupt in estate, but
that you lost your soul! y clustering
young man arrived at a hotel in the
west, and he saw Il man on the side
walk whom he supposed to bea laborer,
and in rough way, as no man has 4
right to address laborer, said to hsm,
Garry this trunk up stairs. The man
carried the trunk Up stairs and came
down, and then the young man gave
him a quarter of dollar which was
clipped, and instead Of being 23 cents
it was worth only 20 cents. Then the
young man gave his card to the laborer
and said: you take this up to Cover
nor Grimes. want to see him. : ''Ah,
said the laborer. Il am Governor
Grimes. ''Oh, said the young man,
'you-I-excusc ne. :" Then the governor
said: Il was much impressed by the
letter you wrote me asking for certain
Office in my gift, and / had made up
my mind you should have it, but a
young man who will cheat q la5orer out
Of 5 cents would swindle the govern
ment of the state if he got his hands on
it. | don't want you. Good morning,
sir.
l do not suppose there was ever bet
!