The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-24
POWER OF ASSOCIATION
REV. v. w. TEV3S DISCUSSES ITS
MANY PHASES FROM PULPIT.
Childhood Is Susceptible to Impress
siOn-Infuences Seen in Matri-
monia1 Alliances.


NJ. E. Church last evening. taking for his
subject The Molding Power of Associa-
ton" The church was crowded and many
city officials were in the congregation He
said:
THE old adage states that Birds of a
feather flock together This more appro-
priately applies to birds of dark plumage. |
emblematical Of sin; but in the moral
world birds are not of dark wing. There
is delightful sphere in life where every
thing is bright. In this sphere the associa-
lions are pure, the thoughts which people
the mind are refined and the very soul
itself is the abode OF divinity. If the
adage be true, you may know man large
~ by the character of his associates. 1t is
evident that refinement could not long
dwell i'm contentment with coarsencss and
brutality, purity with RIGHTEOUSNESS. nor
goodness and broad-mindedness with the
contemplate and the little. Wherever there
is association anywhere. therefore. it is
evident that there is a degree of harmony
at least. whenever parent sees his child
drifting INTO questionable associations he !
may see the danger signal IL he is wise.
Every parent owes il to his children TO
carefully guard this point; it is vital mat
ter. Some are careless. Business worries
do not leave them much time TO spend in
mOlding the chlldS character and they
trust To the family blood, which may have
in IL the honor and manliness of genera
tions, TO work out a bright destiny for
their offspring, forgetting that, while blood
tells, the counteracting influence of per
parents do not care much with whom the
child associates, providing they are not
bothered in the matter. The most precious
gift God ever gave to home is a babe-an
immortal SOUL pure and sinless, capable of
being nodded into a life Ike the divine
pattern, or by neglect to run to waste and
Wreckage and become a blot upon Gods
fair page. where no blots need be. Sad,
indeed, is the moral condition of those
parents who do not feel the pressure of
awful responsibility every time they look
their children
once in a while the most carefully trained
child will go astray, it is the rule that the
training and the associations of early life
stamp the future of every one. Early i'm
preSsions are lasting they are woven in
the very wool of life. When the mem
DRY of an old man cannot recall recent
events the scenes of the long ago are fresh
and vivid to him.
Childhood is peculiarly susceptible to i'm
preston. The embryo man is yet TO be
| nodded; he is plastic and responsive, but
withal he has not the judgment which will
come with the passing years. Every ex-
ample is eagerly watched for the child
is a born imitator. Throw him into the
society of those who use slang. for ex-
ample, and notice how quickly his speech
becomes corrupted. Let him listen for
some time to profanity. and see how soon
his words are stained with oathS. On the
other hand, let him grow up in an atmos
phere of refined mad correct conversation
and his words will have no faint in them.
POWER OF SUGGESTION.
He who has studied mental philosophy is
aware of the tremendous power of sugges-
ton. A suggestion made is a chord struck
around which will group other strains of
kindred nature until the entire being is
full of its peculiar music. n hint of evil
harbored, a suggestion Of evil, even,
through force of example, lodges and breeds
other suggestions, until the heart becomes
poisoned.
"Who has not been made aware of the
I cfV V-fN -
strong? We yet have a weak side easily
influenced by evil. There has always been
a strange fascination in the dangerous. The
very fact that forbidden fruit may open
eyes TO new and strange enjoyments has
always been temptation to men. Because
evil men apparently enjoy the life they
live, makes that life sort of pattern for
those of immature experience, who have
not as yet learned that the wages of sin is
death
Our police courts thoroughly illustrate
the power of association. Every week in
the juvenile court to be found weep
ing urchins who attribute their downfall
to their association with evil companions.
| The mothers voice has grown faint and
been forgotten in the fascination of the
swagger of those young men who boast of
having cut loose from their mothers
apron strings; then, when the judge in a
fatherly way begins to lecture the weep
ing child upon the error of his ways and
point out something better, and seeks 10
enkindle again the fires of genuine manl-
ness. there is manifested genuine delight
upon the part of those older in wicked
ness, as though 1t gave them comfort TO
know that they not alone in their sins.
Only the other day Judge Stubs accident
ally noticed one of these leaders laughing
over his companions creSt-fallen appear
ance, and righteously increased his punish
ment TO the limit. The police records for
the first five days of last week reveal
among other OffenSeS for which the Offend
ers We're arrested for the first time three
for drunkenness, seven for petit larceny
and six for assault and battery. The
1 rapF tor tot hot Clnf tod for
| drunkenness on Monday morning will run
/ from six TO twenty-five. These occur from
/ Saturday night until Sunday evening. and
/ are caused by men frequentlng the saloon
/ in search of companionship Their intention
/ is to have a good time and keep sober; but
the influence of the saloon association over
/ comes them and they wake up in the sta
/ ton house. The prosecutor also states that
/ 90 per cent. of the assault and battery cases
\ originate either in some saloon, at some
! gambling game or in some low resort:
v lille in the vast majority of the petit lar
/ ceny cases the offender was led into evil
/ through the effect of pernicious example.
/ noted criminals do you find where the
statement is TO the effect that he was born
or honorable parents. had a lovely family
| companions, and through them to ruin?
MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES.
THE influence of association is clearly
seen in the matrimonial alliances which
are being formed every day. Marriages are
made in the circle of friends around the
contracting parties. If your son ever
marries at all it will be from the ranks of
/ the company he keeps. Many a daughter
has thrown gloom over the parental home
/ by forming an alliance with one utterly
worthless and unworthy: this alliance
would never have been formed had COM
painship not embraced him in its circle.
/ Il for no other reason than this il is ap-
{ that domestic interests
home demand that the associations of the
| child be carefully watched
| 1T is a peculiar fact that as initiative
| creatures We are liable to pattern after
the most glazing faults Of an evil example
| An old Latin proverb states in substance
| that he Will limp after a while who assoc
| ciates with crippes. This is also true in
j the domain Of mind and morals. Associa-
! ton with moral cripples Will produce moral
! limping in anyone. The late John b. Cough,
whose early life was one of dissipation
/ but whose latter years were crowned with
/ brilliant work in the temperance field.
| makes this statement: In 1882 or 1888 two
boys sought employment at the same es-
tablishment in the same week. One was
/ ouly engaged as errand boy in the Office,
/ the other errand boy in the book-bind-
/ among refined Christian people, and
/ brought under restraining influences. The
/ other surrounded by entirely diff
ftrent atmosphere-nOthing elevating, very
little that was pure. lovely or of good re-
| port. The office boy. encouraged by good
advisers. grew in the right direction, OBJ
tanned a good education. became a minis
| ter a professor in college. "A celebrated
| Greek scholar and died leaving behind him
faaV haxT h