Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-07-22
PAY YOUR DEBTS.
A Mighty Good Baccalaureate Sermon.
From the editorial page of the Randolph
Herald and Newsl

A Mighty Good Baccalaureate Sermon. /
[From the editorial page of the Randolph
Herald and News.l
This is the commencement season.
Glasses of young men and women, boys I
and girls are stepping forth from colleges,
seminares and high schools to the
active duties of life. 1t is a season of |
ideals These young people are framing
for themselves rules Of conduct, under |
which their education shall have full
opportunity to work out their success i'm
life. Learned preceptors and good
preachers, in the addresses and baccalau-
reates. are admonishing the graduates in
the light of their own experience as
TO the principles that should control
when the restraints are withdrawn and
and each follows his chosen path. Stress
is properly laid on correct habits in
dustry, honesty and the other prime
virtues that make up character.
Catching. to some degree, the inspi-
ration of the moment we wish to dwell
briefly on one particular requisite of
success that ii seems to us is too often
overlooked, both in the incubation and
the observance As it is proper to base
Il sermon on "a srriptual text, we will
select this passage from one Of Pauls
cpistlos, cove no man anything
/ We live in a material age; one might
almost call it a merccnary age without
/ ovcrsteppiug bounds. The dollar is the
! measure Of value, not alone of CommO-
/ ditics, but to some extent of personality.
/ This may not accord with our theories
/ but II is plain fact that cannot be tumbed
/ over.
Now in this sordd age. when the
/ dollar plays 50 great part there Is
no quality the possession Of which gives
[ greater cminence. and the lack Of which
stands out more In disagrceahlc contrast
/ than the reputation man or woman has
of fffFtr mr. lfafi
pecuniary obligations. II is, in fact, well
nigh impossible for person to succeed
in life. whatever his talents unless he
pays'his debts. a mans reputation takes
it's cornerstone in his own immediate To-
| cality where he is best known. If he
passes this gauntlet safely, he may build
on indefinitely. but he must be thought
well of at home or he cannot hope
beyond Now If his townsmen with
whom he has every day dealings are
kindly disposed toward him. his natural
talents Will have further play. II they
are not, if every inquiry from
outside meets with a discouraging an
swer. is it not clear what a handicap he
suffers?
Nothing tends to make a man or
woman more unpopular in a community
than habit OF persistently and
wilfully lodging the payment Of debt
! 1t is impossible to offset this reputa-
tion by the possession of ever so many
virtues. People will not be tolerant
OF those whose ledger accounts are sell
dom or never settled \ feeling Of an
mostly springs up, n resentment Of
wrong suffered that obliterates much
of the real worth OF the debtor 1t
never pays to evade the fulhment Of
ones just obligations
People are careless about involving
l themselves in debt II they see "A
thing they want they often purchase
1t without knowing how it is to be
paid for. As a rule nothing is so val
liable that ii warrants purchase under
/ such conditions. Far better to wait
until cash in hand justines the outlay
The worst debts to pay are the ones in
CURED for things not really needed. and
the failure to pay them gives the debtor
a bad odor
Then there are the debts for necessaries
that are left hanging while the money
goes for pleasure or luxures. The wash
crwoman is unpaid while the debtor goes
on a vacation or INDUCES in rich clothes
There can be no Justification Of such a
course and the community will accept
none The worst loser is not the washer
woman, but he who does the wrong.
amounting to a sin. Nobody needs recre-
alton so badly that he can afford to take
, II at the expense Of his creditors silks
and satns do not show to advantage when
IN. butcher 9nd m'lkman can stand on
, the corner and comment rs they do so
often, Il have SO In that rig"
, Creditors are generally Considerate of
, the unfortunate debtor The wage Garner
whom sickness overtakes or III luck floors
for time will not suffer in reputation If
he shows disposition to regard his OBJ
i legations and does his best Impossible
; tiles are not demanded of anyone But
, when the slender margin of income is
wasted In eNtraVagauces and there is
nothing laid by for rainy day, when
with ordinary thrift. there might have
I been plenty complaint comes from those
, who are asked to finance the family
! along. Naturally they do not feel any
obligation resting on them.
, The man of whom it is said. HE al
ways pays his debts" has an asset that
= | counts for n great deal in this world. The
I chances ere he will have opportunity 10
; try in the higher walks of life. For he
has paved the way 10 a good understand
, ing with his neighbors, who will perceive
. | in him other good qualities they never
= would have taken the trouble to look
: for if he had beaten them out of what
: ! he owed them. Care in mourning debt
, and scrupulousness in discharging it are
I among the chief factors of success. and
= he is fatuous and short sighted who thinks
I | he can win his way without attention tC
| these important matters.
h Therefore We submit this n COM
n mencement motto, Pay up, II you eX-
$ pect To go up" Young people about tC
I enter life will find 1t an excellent one &c
n follow