Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-03-09

speculating with other peoples money, and
how IN any more bank directors are In i'm
beetle silence, letting the perfdy go on,
the great and patient God only knows My
opinion is that we have got nerr the bot
tom. The wind has been pricked from the
great bubble OF American speculation. The
men who thought that the Judgment day
was at least 5000 years Off found it In 1898
or 1897 or 1896. And this nation has been
taught that men must keep their hands
out OF other peoples pockets. Great bus
inesses built on borrowed capital have
been obliterated and mon who had moth
ing have lost all they had. I believe we
are on higher career OF prosperity than
this land bas ever seen, II. and II, and II:
II the FIRST men, and especially Christian
men, will learn never to speculate upon
borrowed capital If you have mind to
take your own money and turn 1t into
Kites TO fly them over every common in the
United States, you do society no wrong,
children into the poorhouse for the public
to take care OF. But you have no right to
take the money of others and turn it into
kites. There Is one word that has deluded
more people into bankruptcy than any
other word in commercial life, and that Is
sponsible for all the defalcations and en-
bezzlements and financial consternations
of the last twenty years. When executors
conclude to speculate with the funds Of an
estate committed to their charge, they dc
not purloin; they say they only borrow.
When a banker makes an overdraft upon
his institution, he does not commit theft
he only borrows.
II I had only a worldly weapon to use on
this subject, would give you the fact.
fresh from the highest authority, that
ninety per cent Of those who 60 into wild
speculation lose all, but have better
warning than worldly warning. From
fhn II yhnr hou rtohn ho1x
mind, soul--stand Off, stand of! Abstract
pulpit discussion must step aside on this
question. Faith and repentance are abso-
lutely necessary, but faith and repentance
are no more doctrines Of the Bible than
commercial Integrity. Render to all their
dues" "Owe no man anything" And
while mean to preach faith and repent.
ance, more and more to preach them, do
not mean to spend any time In chasing the
Hittites and Jebusites aud Girgashites OF
Bible times when there are so many evils
right around us destroying men and wom-
evangelistic preacher the world ever saw,
a man who died for his angelism-peer-
less Paul-wrote to the Romans, "Pr6vide
things honest In the sight OF all men,;
wrote to the Corinthians, DO that which
is honest" wrote to the Philippians,
the Hebrews, "Willing In all things to live
honestly" The Bible says that faith with
out works is dead, which, being literally
translated, means that IL your business life
does not correspond with your profession
your religion is humbug.
Gathered in all religious assemblages
there are many who have trust funds. II
is II compliment to you that you have been
so intrusted, but charge YOU, in the pres.
ence OF God and the world, be as careful
of the property of others as you are care
ful of your own. Above all, keep your OWE
private account at the bank separate from
your account as trustee OF an estate OF
trustee of an institution. That is the point
at which thousands OF people make ship.
wreck. They get the property OF othera
mixed up with their own property; they
put 1t into investment, and away 1t all
goes, and they cannot return that which
they borrowed. Then comes the explo.
sion, and the money market is shaken,
aud the press denounces, and the church
tnunders expulsion. You have no right
to use the property OF Others, except fol-
their advantage, nor without consent, un.
less they are minors. If with their consent
you invest 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 o thing
Is in their possession therefore 1t is theirs.
You have solemn trust that God has
given you. In any assem- mblage there may
funds. Put them back, or II you have
so hopelessly involved them that you
cannot put them back confess the whole
thing to those whom you have wrongsd
and you will sleep better nights and you
will have the better chance for your soul.
What sad thing it would be II after you
are dead your administrator should Hnd
out from the account books or from the
lack Of vouchers that you are not only
bankrupt in estate, but that you lost your
soul! II all the trust funds that have been
misRppropriated should suddenly fly to
their owners and all the property that has
been purloined should suddenly 60 back
to its owners. 1t would crush into ruiz
every city in America.
A missionary in one OF the islands OF the
Pacific preached on dishonesty, and the
next morning he looked out OF his window
and he saw his yard full OF goods Of ali
kinds. He wondered and asked the cause
OF all this. "Well," said the natives, "ouI
gods that we have been worshipipg permit
us to steal; but according to what you said
yesterday the God Of heaven and earth
will not allow this. SO we bring back all
these goods and we ask you to help
belong" # next Sabbath ali the ministers
in America should preach sermons ON the
abuse OF trust funds and on the evils oil
purloining, and the sermons were all
blessed OF God and regulations were made
that all these things should be taken to
the city halls. it would not be long before
every city hall in America would be crowded
from cellar to curola.
Let me say In the most emphatic man
ner to all young men, dish onesty will never
pay. An abbot wanted to buy piece OF
ground and the owner would not sell 1t,
but the owner finally consented to let ii
to him until ne could raise one crop, and
the abbot sowed acorns, a crop OF 200
years And tell you, young man, that
the dishonesties which you plant IN your
heart and life will seem to be very insig-
nihcant, but they will grow up until they
will overshadow you with horrible dark.
ness, overshadow all time and all eternity.
1t will not be a crop for 200 years. but
crop for everlasting ages.
I have also word Of comfort for all
who suffer from the malfeasance of others,
and every honest man, woman and child
does suffer from what goes on in
financial scampdom. Society il so bound
together that ali the misfortunes which
good people suffer in business matters come
from the misdeeds OF others. Bear up un-
1a, ;ot, otrA f,,n I'D ,,,iIl