The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-07-24

element of society will mistrust them.
Would a reputable business man ask
a tricky lawyer to settle an estate?
Would a self-respecting man invite
doctor to attend his family who is
known to be reckless fellow, and who
often looks upon the wine when it's
blazing red2 Would the banker think
OF promoting any of his clerks to the.
cashiers desk who are known to play
the races, shoot craps, and who have the
reputation of being good buffers with
nothing but pair of sduces in stiff
game of poker? No, they would not.
Sound business principles and past ex-
periences are sufficiently self-explana-
tory.
The pessimist may cry, "Oh what's
the use of building up a magnificent
reputation when any biased or jealous
enemy can assail it with IMMUNITY and
drag itthrough the courts until it smells
from whatever angle of vision one may
view its Then the press will pick it
up by the nap of the neck and hold it
up to public ridicule." This is only too
true. In many cases the argument is
sustained by experience. But, is it
just criterion? Is it not superstition
easily surmountedsby research and log
ic? Ones reputation is not so easily
hurled from its pedestal. Thousands
may hurl scathing yituperations against
it, but not destroy it. Its very exist
ence, unsu1lied and fawless, means It's
preservation from such sporadic at
tacks. The enyious may hover around
such a reputation, like bugs hover
around an arc light, and not diminish
its luster.
A good character, however, must
be the foundation on which ones
reputation relies for support. If ones
character is defective it matters little
how much he may exploit his reputa-
ton, because the latter must be rein.
forced by the amiabie qualities of the
former in order to sustain life. Char
acter is an auxiliary that protects repu-
tation in the same proportion that in
fantry protects a field battery. 1t pre-
supposes and establishes reputation on
firm footing. Vice and corruption
may temporarily seriously harm ones
character, but it does not necessarily
follow that it also means the death of
ones reputation, The soldier may have
achieved reputation for bravery on the
battlefield, but it does not bbeceoemlee iia,
pa'sea Al -. ,.esleast II he is shot for Sleep
ing while doing sentinel duty, or if he
is shot for desertion. However. if
banker has gained general reputation
for honesty and loses the banks funds
through stock speculation, he suffers
both the loss of reputation and charac-
ter. History stamps Benedict Arnold
as a base traitor to his country, still
history pays homage to his reputation
as soldier by recording the fact that
he was brave and daring officer in
| combat.
Arnold's character, however, suffered
an irreparable injury; and like Aaron
Burr, he lived the life of an outcasr. adj
mired by none and respected by few.
Cecil Rhodes, erstwhile diamond king
and empire builder in South Africa, no
more than passed away when the entire
press of the world pounced upon both
+ his reputation and character and tore it
into shreds. No doubt his reputation
as an empire builder will be duly re-
corded by future historians, just as the
brutalities of the pirates who invested
the Spanish Main are recorded, not for
the good qualities which they exhibited
during their tempestuous careers, but
for the stupendous amount of vilIainy
which they committed Napoleon's
reputation as great general and
leader will long survive the besmirched
and lusterless character which he left
Behind.
L Still it is not essential that one must
be Benedict Arnold, Cecil Rhodes,
q pirate or Hannibal, Alexander or
Napoleon in order to build up an i'm