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

element of society will mistrust them.
Would reputable business man ask
a tricky lawyer to settle an estate?
Would a self-respecting man invite a
doctor to attend his family who is
known to be a 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 I
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 magnificent
reputation when any biased or jealous
enemy can assail it with impunity and
drag it through the courts until it smells
from whatever angle of vision one may
view it9 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 supposition
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, unsullied and flaWless, means its
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
i character is defective it matters little
how much he may exploit his reputa-
tion, 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 field battery. 1t pre-
supposes and establishes reputation on
a 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 a reputation for bravery on the
. battlefield, but it does not beeccoomee ssM, ssaMa
= eaisea "a -. ....sleast II he is shot for sleep
s ing while doing sentinel duty, or if he
is shot for desertion. However, if a
I banker has gained general reputation
: for honesty and loses the banks funds
= through stock speculation, he suffers
) both the loss of reputation and charac-
s ter. History stamps Benedict Arnold
t as 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
t Burr, he lived the life of an outcasr, ad-
Q mired by none and respected by few.
: Cecil Rhodes, erstwhile diamond king
: and empire builder in South Africa, no
d more than passed away when the entire
: press of the world pounced upon both
his reputation and character and tore it
q into shreds. No doubt his reputation
{ as an empire builder will be duly re-
0 corded by future historians, just as the
Q brutalities of the pirates who invested
a the Spanish Main are recorded, not for
/ the good qualities which they exhibited
y during their tempestuous careers, but
t for the stupendous amount of viliainy
I which they committed. Napoleon's
9 reputation as great general and
r leader will long survive the besmirched
J: and lusterless character which he left
Ii Behind.
a Still it is not essential that one must
9 be Benedict Arnold, q Cecil Rhodes,
o a pirate or Hannibal, Alexander or q
II Napoleon In order to build I'M an i'm