Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-10-07
IN HIS STEPS.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?'
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

trusts. There was no question that he
held in his hand evidence sufficient to
convict the company of willful, intelll-
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 do3" 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 1t
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 it2 If he saw man entering
his neighbor's house to steal. would it
not be his duty to inform the officers OF
the law9 Was railroad company such
different thing2 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
organization9 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 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. SurelJ. 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
90 on. Let the law be defied. What was
It to him9 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
standardH But what would Jesus do If
he knew the factsH That was the ques-
ton 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-
CINE and the crash of the planer in the
big shop continued until 8 o'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
lust outside. He said to his clerks
"I'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 Z O'Clock that evening any one
who had hooked into the superintend
ent's office would have seen an unusua
sight. He was kneeling down, and hi
face was buried in his hands as ht
bowed his head upon the papers on hi:
desk.
To RE CONTINUED.