Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-02-16

runs Into debt, he opens the sluice gates
of falsehood. he processes his willing
ness to clasp hands with deception and
deceit. The debtor says to his creditor,
II have no money this morning, but |
will pay you next week" His words
are false; he has no intention of pay
ing next week The debtor says: II
am now trying to sell some land. The
deal is almost closed; then | will send
you a check" The debtor knows he is
a falsifier; he has no land to sell.
One of the dearest friends l ever had
by this curse of running into debt be-
came a moral degenerate. He went to
another friend and borrowed 5000 and
gave as security some cattle which he
professed to own at that time in Kan
sas. In fact, he did not own horn or
a hoof in all the world. So the perjury
habit, which is often the offspring of
debt, will creep into mans heart as
worm tunnels its-way into the heart
of great tree and leaves there moth
ing but death and corruption and filth.
'All liars shall have their part in the
lake which burneth with fire and brim-
stone, which is the second DEATH" Be-
ware, o man. how you nourish this de-
stroying child of perjury, which is Of
ten the offspring of accursed Debt!
Helpless and Innocent Victims.
Willful Debt is the fiend who cares
not how many helpless and innocent
victims he may destroy in his own an
initiation. The pirates of old used to
raise their black flags and prey upon
the ancient shipping. The robbers of
Scotland used to place false lights
upon the shores so that the ships would
be decoyed upon the rocks and the
wreckers could collect the broken car
| goes. The man who willfully runs into
| debt is a human vampire who is suck
| ing the lifeblood out of his butcher
and baker, his tailor and landlord, his
friend and his enemy alike. He cares
not how he gets money so long as he
| gets it. He cares not who has to suf-
fer SO long as his present desires are
| satisfied. What is the natural and in
evitable result? There have been thou
sands of small retail merchants driven
into bankruptcy because their custom
ers, supposed to be honorable men,
would not pay their bills. There have
been hundreds and thousands Of poor
widows and orphans and aged and
helpless depositorS Of small sums in
the banks who have lost all merely be
cause the cashiers have become de-
faulters and cared not whom they
dragged down with them in their own
moral and spiritual destruction. 1t is
a contemplate act for a man to steal
from a millionaire. 1t is infinitely
meaner for woman to steal from heI
poor dressmaker, her cook or her wash
erwOman, OF for man to rob his gro
ceryman or iceman or his cOachman OF
the gardener who sells to him his flow
ers. 1t is meaner because those who
must perhaps lose their all and be
driven to Starve and die.
But if it is fiendlike for the willful
debtor to steal from his butcher and
baker, how much more criminal is il
for him to destroy the spiritual and
moral life of his own children! There
is many a man who is rearing his chill
dren after the exalted style of a mil
lionaire's children. who when lie dies
will leave to them not one cent. II
other words, he is instilling into the
hearts of his boys and girls unnatura
desires, and then, when he is gone
those boys and girls, in order to graft
fly those desires, may be led to plunge
into a life of dissoluteness and crime
To illustrate, would introduce to yor
young man who was once cOmpan
ion of my youth. He was the son Of
the president of large life insurance
company in the east. He came to N!
home some time ago. ''Why, Joe,"
said to him, 81 have not seen you fo
years. Where did you come from 2
From poverty and want and drunken
ness and from nowhere" he answered
gloomily. Il have come to you for help
Will you help me-? What was th'
cause of that young mans downfall
The extravagant life his father led AM
the life he allowed his children to lead
While that boy was growing up b.
, could have anything he wanted tina
, |, money could buy. His father sent hin
on pleasure trips across the sea ant
; willingly paid all his bills; then, whel
his father died, Joe and his sister
were helplessly stranded. They ha'
the tastes and desires of millionaires
; they had the empty pockets of paupers
Preparations for such tragedies are be
ing enacted today by selfish men al
round the world. AS long as thes
: wickedly foolish fathers can satisf.
their present wants they care not wha
may become of their children ate
they are gone. Every wise fathe
should teach his children that the re-
q breasted oriole of gold has wings swift
er than the winds. When tits gone,
is very hard to overtake and to brin
back. He should train each child to
; able to earn livelihood Independent Q
u any money he may bequeath to tina
child. @ --,-s 5s.
|