Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1899-02-09

scouudrels in America have been mem
sermons about Heaven when they most
needed to have the pulpits preach that
which would either bring them to re
peutancc or thunder them out of the
holy communions where their presence
WAS II sacrilege and an infnmy.
We must especially dcplore the mis-
fortunes OF banks in various parts of
this country in that they damage the
banking institution, which is the great
est convenience of the centuries and in
dispensable To commerce and the adj
vance of nations. In one hand il blesses
the lender, and with the other il blesses
the borrower. On their shoulders are
the interests of private individuals and
great corporations. In them are the
great arteries through which run the
currents of the nations life. They
have been the RESOURCES Of the thou
sands of financiers in days of business
eNigcncy. They stand for accommoda-
ton, for facility. for individual. state
and national relief. At their head and
much interest and moral worth as in
any class of men, perhaps more. How
nefarious, then, the behavior of those
who bring disrepute upon this ,enera-
bic, benignant and God hOnored instl-
tuition!
We also deplore abuse of trust funds,
because the abusers fly In the face of
divine goodness. which seems deter
mined to bless this land. We are hav-
ing series of uneNampled national har-
vests. The wheat gamblers get hold
of the wheat, and the corn gamblers
get hold of the corn. The full tide of
Gods mercy toward this land is put
back by those great bikes of dishOn-
orable resistance. When God provides
enough food and clothing to feed and
apparel this whole nation like princes.
the scramble of dishonest men to get
more than their share and get it all
hazards keeps everything shaking with
uncertainty and everybody asking:
what next?" Every week makes new
revelations. How many more bank
presidents and bank cashiers have been
specializing with other peoples money
and how many more bank directors
are in imbecile silence, letting the
perhdy go on. the great and patient
God only knows. My opinion is that
we have got near the bottom. 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 1890. and this ma
ton has been taught that men must
keep their hands out Of other peoples
pockets. Great businesses built on bor-
rowed capital have been obliterated,
and men who had nothing have lost
all they had. believe we are started
on a higher career Of prosperity than
this land has ever seen--if and if and IL.
II the first men, and especially Chris
tan men, will learn never to speculate
upon borrowed capital-if you have a
mind to take your own money and turn
II all into kites, to fly them over every
common in the United States, you do So
oiety no wrong, except when you tum-
Die your helpless children into the poor
house for the public to take care Of.
But You have no right to take the mon
-y of others and turn ii into kites.
here is one word that has deluded
more people into bankruptcy and state
ssison and ruin than any other word in
commercial life, and that is the word
borrow. That one word irresponsible
for the defalcations and entertainments
and financial considerations of the last
20 years. When executors conclude TO
speculate with the funds of an estate
committed to their charge, they do not
purloin; they say they only borrow.
When banker makes IN overdraft
upon his institution, he does not COM
nit theft; he only borrows. When the
officer Of company, by flaming adver-
tisement in some religious paper and
gilt certificate Of stock, gets q multi
tude Of country people to put their
small earnings TO an enterprise for car
rying on some undeveloped nothing. he
does not fraudulently take their mon
ey; he only borrows. When young
ILan with easy access TO his employ
er's money drawer or the confidential
clerk by close propinquity TO the ac-
count books takes q few dollars for a
Wall street excursion, he expects to
put II back. He will put it all back. He
will put il all back very soon. lie only
borrows. Why, when you are going to
do wrong pronounce SO long n word as
borrow. n word Of six letters, when you
can get shorter word more descriptive
of the reality, q word of only five letters
the word steal?
There are times when We all borrow
and borrow legitimately, and borrow
with the divine blessing for Christin His
sermon on the mount enjoins: From
him that would borrow of thee turn
lot thou away" Ayoung man rightly
borrows money TO get his education.
Purchasing q house and not able to
pay all down in cash, the purchaser
rightly borrows il on mortgage. Crises
come in business when it would be
wrong for n man not to borrow. But
roll this warning through all these
aisles, over the backs of all these pews,
never borrow to speculate-not n do
IuI, uOt u Ctul, HOt
men, l warn you by your worldly pros
poets and the value Of your immortal
souls, do not do il. There are breakers
distinguished for their shipwrecks-
the llanways, the Needles, the Baskets,
the Douvers, the Anderlos, the Skerries
and many a craft has gone to pieces
on those rocks, but have to tell you
that all the Hanways, and the Needles.
and the Caskets, and the Skerries are
rs nothing compared with the long line
of breakers which bound the ocean of
commercial life north, south, east and
west with the white foam of their de-
spair and the dirge of their damnation
the breakers of borrow.
If Il had only a worldly weapon to use
on this subject, would give you the
fact, fresh from the highest authority,
that 90 per cent. of those who go into
wild speculation lose all. but | have n
better warning than a worldly warning.
From the place where men have per-
/. hed-body. mind, soul-stand off,
stand off! Abstract pulpit discussion
must step aside on this question. Faith
and repentance are absolutely neces-
sary, but faith and repentance are no
more doctrines of the Bible than COM
mercial integrity. Render TO all their
dues" 'Owe no man anything" And
I \ r. l.