The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-08-30
h o N E s T Y.
florence Wilkinson

tIlCKeIy gong on around us, and
seemed to think I might help little,
if would try, to convince some light
fingered folks that the umbrella, the
pocketbook, the hand bag and such
that have been dropped or forgotten
are not theirs because they happen to
find them and pick them up.
She greatly overestinated the in
fuence of my pen, but I lament with
her the dishonesty that is stalking
abroad, from the petty thief who
runs off with your doormat or car
riage whip, to the silk-hatted gentry
who occupy soft seats in gubernato-
rial mansions and legislative halls,
and by their enactments flch money
from the peoples pockets, a large per-
centage of which goes to enrich them
selves. This is the cream of roguery
and the most hopeless.
There is justice in the country to
be meted out to the man who robs
your hen roost, or pliers pie or a
loaf of bread, but there doesn't appear
to be honesty and pluck enough left
among men to deal with robbers of
the upper crust. They are a law
unto themselves, and set Spartan
example of thievery that those in the
humber walks are not slow to follow.
The ends of justice in dealing with
such as these seem only to be to turn
out one set of rascals to put another
set in.
No word of mine could make men
and women keep their hands off
things that do not belong to them
when the plain and easy to under
stand commandment, "Thou shalt not
steal" that has been sounded through
the ages unheeded. We stand for a
Christian nation, and want to be rec
ognized as a Christian people, and
yet forget that the Good Master of
Christianity declared that Our hope
rests in obedience to this command.
He made it as obligatory for us to
observe as the other, "Thou shalt not
kill" which men in anger and in
love for place and power SO fragrant
1.- violate The VITO .-.-;>------:+i- i.:.-
hands stained with a brothers. blood,
and the rich man with ill-gotten
wealth, may win honors and distinc-
ton, and come to be first on earth,
but let it not be forgotten that the
big chances are they shall be last in
the final reckoning.
The old axiom, can honest man
is the noblest work Of God," is be-
lieved the world over. There is re-
spect for one who dares to be honest
even among thieves. 1t is not rea-
sonable that God will forget his own
best work and leave him defenseless
to his enemies. Somehow, or some
time, he will be crowned prince of
men.
We remember the lesson taught in
the touching story of Job--a man
who was perfect and upright and who
feared God and eschewed evil how
trouble and affections and strippings
of all sorts were heaped upon him to
try him as to whether he was good
because his heart was pure, or good
from being blessed with great riches
and abundance of cattle and goods of
this world. Three friends, who came
to comfort him in his Affections, told
him he must have sinned in taking
what did not belong to him, or in be-
ing cruel to the poor, or other ways
offending, for God only punished
those who trespassed against him.
Job knew he was innocent, and he
called them miserable comforters. :"
They were probably like some who
visit the sick in these later days, and
cheer them up by telling how many
they known who after long years of
suffering died of the same complaint
they were troubled with. Preserve
me from my friends" is a petition
more than one has had to present to
the seat of mercy. Job asked these
friends why they prosecuted him, and
declared to them that he knew his Re-
deemer lived and that in his flesh he
should see him.
When covered from crown to sole
with sore boils, and his manly beauty
had departed, his wife said, Course
God, and die" Other women, too,
have grown tired of troublesome hus-
bands and anxious to get rid of them.
Job told her she talked like foolish
woman, and reminded her that they
had received good at the hands of God
and must also receive evil.
In all his trials he maintained his
integrity of character and firm belief
in an overruling providence. After
many years of these crucial tests hi:
sickness was taken away, his riches
restored in two-fold measure, and hi:
latter end came to be fuller of bless
ings than the beginning. He wa:
permitted to live one hundred anc
forty years, and see four generation:
of his family about him. Job was ar
honest man because it is right to be so
He who is honest simply because
he thinks honesty is the best poll
cy" can scarcely be deemed honest a
all. Honesty is a principle rathel
than policy. Policy is worldly wis
dom and liable to err, while honesty
is of higher origin, and leads men t.
act at all times according to justic'
and correct moral principles.
The strictly honest man doesn'
put big peaches on the top and in th'
bottom of the basket and knurly one
in between he does not promise t.
pay bill next month or next year
and then let it run on for severa
years, or never pay it. His word i
as good as his bond. He doesn't pu
the watch he has found in his pocke
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