The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-19

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,
Il have no money this morning. but
will pay you next week." His words
are false: he has 20 intention of pay
ing next week. The debtor says: Il
am now trying to sell some land. The
deal is almost closed: then l will send
you 4 check" The debtor knows he is
a falsifier; he has no land to sell.
One of the dearest friends ever had
by this curse of running into debt be-
came 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 a horn or
a hoof in all the world. So the perjury
habit, which Is often che offspring OF
debt, will creep into Il man's heart as
a worm tunnels its way into che heart
OF a great tree and leaves there moth
ing but death and corruption and fifth.
"AN liars shall have their part IN the
lake which burnett with fire and Orinl-
stone. which is the second DEATH BE-
ware, . man. now you nourish this de-
stroying child of perjury, which is q
ten the offspring of accursed Debt.
helpless and enneeess Stcsius.
Nillful Debt is the fiend who cares
not how many helpless and innocsn,
victims he may destroy in his own an
Initiation. The pirates OF old used 20
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 ear
goes. The man who willfully runs into
debt is IL human vampire who is suck
ing the lifeblood out of his butcher
and baker. his eailor 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
contemplate act for man to steal
from a millionaire. 1t is infinitely
meaner for woman to steal from her
poor dressmaker, her cock or her wash
erwoman. or for man to rob his gro
eeryman or iceman or his coachman or
the gardener who sells to him his flow
ers. 1t is meaner because those who
are robbed under such circumstances
| must perhaps lose their all and be
driven to starve and die.
But if it is fendlike for The willful
| debtor to steal from his butcher and
| for him to destroy the spiritual and
| moral life of his own children! There
| is many man who is rearing his chill
| dren after the exalted style of a mil
lionaire's children, who when he dies
will leave to them not one cent. In
| other words, he is instilling into the
hearts of his boys and girls unnatural
desires. and then, when he il gone,
| those boys and girls, in order to graft
| fy those desires, may be led to plunge
into a life of dissoluteness and crime.
| To illustrate, would introduce to you
young man who was once eompan-
| ion of my youth. He was the son of
| the president of large life insurance
| company in the east. He came to my
home some time age. why, joe !
| said to him. Il have not seen you for
years, Where did you come from?"
From poverty and want and drunken
ness and from nowhere he answered
gIoomily. Il have come to you for help.
| Will you help me-" What was the
| cause of that young mans downfall?
The extravagant life his father led and
the life he allowed his children to lead.
While that boy was growing up he
could have anything he wanted that
| money could buy. His father sent him
| on pleasure trips across the sea ana
willingly paid all his bills; then, when
his father died, Joe and his sisters
were helplessly stranded. They had
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 all
| round the world. As long as these
| wickedly foolish fathers can satisfy
their present wants they care not what
may BECOME of their children after
| they are gone. Every wise father
/ should teach his children that the red
breasted oriole of gold has wings swift
er than the winds. When it is gone, 1t
is very hard to overtake and to bring
| back. He should train each child to be
| able to earn livelihood independent of
any money he may bequeath to that