The Princeton union., 1899-09-28
IN HIS STEPS.
"mflat D1nul1
grsus Du z"
COpyrtg1te1 and published IN book form by the
.1drancc Publishing Co. Of Chicago.

opes which he supposed contained or
ders for th~ purchasing Of stores. He
ran over the first page of typewritten
matter in his usual quick, businessiiEe
manner before he saw that he was read
ing what was not intended for his Office
but for the superintendent of the freight
department.
He turned over a page mechanically,
not meaning to read what was not ad-
dressed to him, but before he knew it
conclusively proved that the company
was engaged in a systematic violation
Of the Interstate commerce laws of the
United States. It was as distinct and
unequivocal breaking of law as if a pri-
vate citizen should enter a house and
rob the inmates. The discrimination
shown in rebates was in total contempt
of all the statutes. Under the laws of
the state it was also distinct violation
Of certain provisions recently passed by
the legislature to prevent railroad
trusts There was no question that he
held in his hand evidence sufficient to
convict the company of willful, intelli-
gent violation of the law of the COM
mission and the law Of the state also.
He dropped the papers on his desk as
if they were poison, and instantly the
question flashed across his mind, "What
would Jesus do?" He tried to shut the
question out. He tried to reason with
himself by saying it was none of his
business. He had supposed in more or
less indefinite way, as did nearly all Of
the officers of the company, that this
had been going on right along in nearly
all the roads. He was not in a position,
owing to his place in the shops to prove
anything direct, and he had regarded it
all as a matter which did not concern
him at all. The papers now before him
revealed the entire affair. They had
through some carelessness in the address
come into his hands. What business of
his was it? If he saw man entering
his neighbor's house to steal would it
not be his duty to inform the officers of
the law? Was a railroad company such
a different thing? Was it under diff
ferent rule Of conduct, so that it could
rob the public and defy law and be un-
disturbed because it was such a great
organization? What would Jesus do?
Then there was his family. Of course
if he took any steps to inform the COM
mission it would mean the loss of his
position. His wife and daughters had
always enjoyed luxury and good place
in society. If he came out against this
lawlessness as a witness, it would drag
him into courts, his motives would be
misunderstood, and the whole thing
would end in his disgrace and the loss
of his position. Surely, it was none Of
his business. He could easily get the
papers back to the freight department
and no one be the wiser. Let the iniquity
go on. Let the law be defed. What was
it to him? He would work out his plans
for bettering the conditions just about
him. What more could man do in
this railroad business, where there was
SO much going on anyway that made it
impossible to live by the Christian
standard? But what would Jesus do if
he knew the facts? That was the ques-
tion that confronted Alexander Powers
as the day wore into evening.
The lights in the Office had been
turned on. The whir of the great en-
gine and the crash of the planer in the
big shop continued until G. clock.
Then the whistle blew, the engines
slowed down, and the men dropped
their tools and ran for the blockhouse.
Alexander Powers heard the familiar
click. click, Of the blocks as the men
filed pass the window Of the blockhouse
just outside. He said to his clerks
"1'm not going just yet. I have some
thing extra tonight He waited until
he heard the last man deposit his block.
The men behind the block case went
out The engineer and his assistants
had work for half an hour, but they
went out at another door,
At o'clock that evening any one
who had looked into the superintend-
ent's Office would have seen an unusual
sight. He was kneeling down, and his
face was buried in his hands as he
bowed his head upon the papers on his
desk.