Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-05
I'm HIS STEPS.
"What Would Jesus DO?"
By CHARLES M. SHELDON.

4.
first place. he has nothing to gain by
it. He has lost valuable place volun
tarily when by keeping silent he might
have retained it. In the second place.
we believe his action ought to receive
the approval of all thoughtful, honest
NJ citizens who believe in seeing law
pbeyed and lawbreakers brought to JUS
N tice. In case like this, where evidence
against railroad company is generally
understood to be almost impossible to
obtain, it is the general belief that the
officers of the road are often in posses
sion of eliminating facts, but do not
consider it to be any of their business
to inform the authorities that the law
is being defed.
''The entire result of this evasion Of
Responsibility on the part of those who
are responsible is demoralizing to every
young man connected with the road.
The editor of The News recalls the
statement made by a prominent rail-
road official in this city little while
ago that nearly every clerk in certain
department of the road who understood
how large cams of money were made by
shrewd violations of the interstate COM
merce law was ready to admire the
shrewdness with which it was done and
declared that they would all do the
same thing if they were high enough in
railroad circles to attempt it. This was
actually said in one of the general Of
fees of a great western railroad, to the
authors knowledge
cit is not necessary to say that such
condition of business is destructive
to all the nobler and higher standards
of conduct, and no young man can live
jim such an atmosphere of UNPUBLISHED
dishonesty and lawlessness without
wrecking his character.
"In our judgment, Mr.. Powers did
the only thing that Christian man
can do. He has rendered brave and use
full service to the state and the general
public. 1t is not always an easy matter
to determine the relations that exist be-
tween the individual citizen and his
fixed duty to the public In this case
there is no doubt in our mind that the
step which MIR. Powers has taken COM
mends it, IF to every man who believes
in law an, its enforcement. There are
times when the individual must act for
the people in ways that will mean sac
\ rifice and loss to him of the gravest
character. Mr.. Powers will be misun-
4 6erstood and misrepresented, but there
is no question that his course will be
N approved by every citizen who wishes
N to see the greatest corporations as well
as the weakest individual subject to the
came law. Nh. Powers has done all that
a loyal, patriotic citizen could do. It
now remains for the commission to act
upon his evidence, which, we under
stand, is overwhelming proof of the
lawlessness of the L. and T. Let the
N law be enforced, no matter who the
M persons may be who have been. guilty.
Henry Maxwell finished reading and
M dropped the paper.
81 must go and see Powers This is
the result of his promise.
,onid have 3ud as he was going out his
no you think, Henry, that Jesus
zone that?''
..ry Maxwell paused moment.
Then he answered slowly:
eyes; think he would. At any rate,
Powers has decided So and each one of
H|hs who made the promise understands
Mthat he is not deciding Jesus conduct
FOR any one else, only for himself"
Chow about his family? How will
Mrs. Powers and Celia be likely to take
Btf'
Every hard, have no doubt That
will be Powers cross in this matter.
HThey will not understand his motive
IA Henry Maxwell went out and walked
Dver to the next block, where the SUI
perintendent lived. To his relief, Pow
ers himself came to the door.
The two men shook hands silently.
KThey instantly understood each other
without words. There had never been
such bond of union between the min
ster and his parishioner.
''What are you going to do7" Henry
Maxwell asked after they had talked
over the facts in the case and considered
hem well.
'You mean another position2 have
ho plans yet. I can go back to my old
4 work as telegraph operator. My fam
by will not suffer except in a social
way
# Alexander Powers spoke calmly, if
badly Henry Maxwell did not need to
ksk him how his wife and daughter
elt. He knew well enough that the SUI
berintendent had suffered deepest at
hat point.
"There is one matter 1 wish you
would see to-" said Powers after
while, "and that is the work begun at
he shops. So far as I know, the COM
Iany will not object to that going right
N. 1t is one of the contradictions of
he railroad world that the Y. M. G. A.
nd other Christian influences are en-
outraged by the roads, while all the
me the most un-C Christian and lawless
NJ cts are being committed in the official
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