The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-25

honor II accords to these great ones of
earth, for their noble fidelity to truth as
God gave them to see the truth, and for
their heroic loyalty to justice and right
when such loyalty cost something, the
question arises: Has IL ALL no lesson for
us? Is all this splendid loyalty simply to
be honored. and not to be emulated? Is
our whole duty done when we have LAID
our tribute of praise at the feet of these
true and brave ones? Or is the spirit we
see In them one which we are bound
bound by the fact that it seems to US
heautifu and noble-to cultivate in our
selves?
Is there any life into which the oppor-
tunity TO be loyal to conviction does not
come? II not, then is there any life up
on which the obligation TO be loyal does
not rest? Cam lit be possible that there is
law in this matter that is not univer-
sal-a law that holds with the high and
not with the low, or with one class and
not with another? Can we believe that
even Jesus was under any more obliga-
ton to be true to the truth as he saw it
than you and 1 are to be true TO the
truth aSiwe see It? These are serious
questions. They open up the whole sub
ject of loyalty to conviction not as a
speculative or far off matter, but as
something near. practical, pertaining to
your life and mine; and moreover as
something we cannot escape. if we
going to- live our lives upon any high
plane, or make them of any moral
strength.[
What rs the value of loyalty to convic-
ticn?
A little thought will show us that it's
value is two-fold: First, TO those who
practice il; second, to the world. Let us
see how this is true.
In the first place, loyalty brings valu-
able returns TO the loyal man himself. If
we understand that the true wealth of
life is internal not external, intellectual
and moral. not material; is that which,
developes and frees the soul; is of the
character. not Of the purse. builds up
manhood as something more importaM
than even a bank account-then we shall'
not find II difficultto see that foyalty$ to
ones convictions brings large and solid
good to the man Who practices it.
> If 1 see truth ard am not loyal to il,
what is the result? / shall see it less
clearly the next time. But If on seeing
truth / accept it, and put it in practice,
shall see 1t more clearly the next time.
Thus ii is that loyalty to truth clarifies
the Intellectual fvis.onyf awhile, tSisfoSdlty
dulls It. The same may be said Of the
viii and the moral Jfuire. If we Are res
olutely true to dutyStbday it vifIlps cas-
Ter to be true tomorrowa If we-iisten to
conscience today andiSB9y its behessts, it's
voice win speak more Ebearly tomorrow.
and obedience will grow to Be SECOND
nature and delight With eVsfy5 act
of loyalty to truth and right corffes an,
increased sense of self-respect of@fsnan
hood. of peace with 0re's soul and3wIth
God. By such loyalty one enterss into
conscious partnershf6 with all thaSorces
g good IN 2 sl,e :, Y s7s " lij.sna jas Xsaa JOY
this?
On the other hand, to fail to be true
to ones convictions is to miss all this
good; nay, IT is to gravitate downward.
Have we not all witnessed illustrations
OF this? Can we not gbfnt to cases in
this very city where IL is plain that such
a process of moral degeneration is going
on, and has been going on for years
cases of men and women who today are
doing what ten years ago they would not
have done, and openly defending courses
of conduct which then they would not
have defended under any circumstances?
The explanation is this: they failed to be
loyal to their convictions. AS a result
their convictions little by little passed
away, and their lives have come to be
governed, mainly If not entirely, by con-
slderations of popu,ari,y, ease, pleasure
and selfish interest, and not by convic-
tion. We call such cases atrophy of the
moral nature-a result certain to follow
any long continued failure to listen to
/ the voice of conscience and to do that
which one knows to be right. All. the
law Is universal, that wherever a hu-
man being fails to be loyal to truth and
duty as God has given him to see them.
| he pays a sure and heavy penalty-the
penalty of gradual loss of moral discern
ment, atrophy of conscience, deteriora-
| tion of will. the fading out of sight OF
| the high ideals of life which once shone
/ In his sky and beckoned him onward and
upward. A greater loss than this there
is not. Is II sad to do wrong? 1t is inf
| nitely sadder not to know or care that il
/ is wrong, not to desire to do right. DIS
| loyalty to art makes one unable to dis
cern good art: disloyalty to music viii
ates and corrupts ones musical taste
so that ones musical judgment becomes
| worthless. In the same way disloyalty
TO truth and right dulls and deadens th'
moral nature. DO we not find here thu
real sin against the Holy Ghost? 1t il
terrible to lose ones eyesight. II is inf
nitely more terrible to lose ones mora
sight.
SO much. then, for the effect upon our
selves of loyalty and disloyalty to con
victon.
/ (To be Contnued.)