The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-16

 I wore on the day O. his coronationY II mans physical life is valuable. how much more valuable Is his good name by means of which that physical life can be made of some practical good tc his fellow men as well as to himselfl And yet just think how quickly some are ready to risk their good names as well as their physical existence!
 Danger of Bad Associations.
 Tn the first place. for a mere social pre- ferment. they are ready to risk their good names by evil associations. Men and women are always judged by the as scciates they have. You know this fact as well as I know it. You cannot get around that statement The other day the name of young lady whom was very anxious to have join our church came up. Again and again I have said: ''Is 1t not too bad that Miss Sc-and-So does not join our church and become a good Christian worker? She seems to be such a nice girl" church officer of mine said Well, do not know wheth- CT she Is nice girl or no, but one thing I do know, she associates with men about this town who are everywhere noted for their immoralities and inde- cencies-men whom won not allow to associate with my wife or daughters That does not speak very well of her Christian character" N not could say? I could answer nothing. Good men and good women, as a rule do not make companions of bad men and bad women. And yet today that is just what some Of us are doing for social nreferment. Like the scotchman who risked his phys icai life by climbing the smooth rocks of the Half Dome or like that reckless climber who the other day lost his life when era wiling along the edge of El Cap itan in old Yosemite. some of us ere risking our good names -- assoo.atfng with evil companions and people of un- savory reputation with whom we are seen on the street and in soe'si ~ather- ings.
 But the narrow lodges of social heights on which many men and women foolishly risk their good names are not nearly as many or as narrow or as high as the dizzy and dangerous lodges along which some men are ready to risk their good names in order to win a prize of gold. Where there is one man who Is ready to risk his good name for social success there are ten. twenty. fifty-aye. a hun dred-men who are ready to risk their good names for financial success. And those men are often ready 10 risk their good names when these names are their only capital in life
 Oh my friends. never allow your good lidIilt u Dt llilhtu lo Il SnduA #IldUCldf enterprise. Never trne with your good name by walking along a dangerous ledge on which your feet might slip and you may be precipitated into the abyss of dis grace. My father many years ago im- pressed this fact upon my mind He said: My son. as a minister of the gospel. in all probability you will never be fnan- cally wealthy but on account of your good name. unless you are careful, some seheming men will try 10 drag you into shady financial enterprises Then you will be disgraced as was my dear friend. Schuyler Colfax. who met his political death fin the Credit Mobilier scandal"
 Case of Schuyler colfax.
 Let me tell you how Schuyler Colfax was politically ruined. IIe was at heart an honest man. He was a prominent member of the Christian church. For years his name was the synonym of all that was good and true. My father told me that if a thousand men had come to him and before a column of Bibles mile high had sworn that Schuyler Colfax was dis honest he would have denounced every one CT them as a perjurer. He had known Schuyler Colfax for years. He knew he might be guilty of an indiscreton, but of an intentional dsnonesty-neve What was his indiscretion? Some dishonest men were trying to organize a fraudulent com spiracy under a guise of building the Union Pacific railroad. The company was capitalized at $3,750,0Oo In order to in- duce gullible public to take stock the promoters of this company came and said to Vice President Colfax, We will make you a present of so much stock for the use of your name, which will give us a standing In the community" Schuyler Colfax, being a professional man and not q business man, was innocently caught in the trap. He did not intend to do any wrong. He though tke business enter prise of building transcontinental rail- road a worthy one. He though the value of his good name worth the price offered. But when the scoundrelly promoters of this company had filched the money out of the pockets of the American people and decamped the accumulated wrath of the people as hurrican broke over Schuyler Colfaxs head, and he was driven into political oblivion. Now, said my father to me- never risk your good name. Never be drawn into any finan- cial enterprise in the outcome of which you cannot as an honest man face the world with clean hands, Thus l say to you Never rick your good name. Never risk it by evil associates. Never risk 1t in slady financial transactions the full story of which you are not willing to tell the world Be cautious Be cautious of your name for yourself Be lovingly cautious of your good name for your dear ones. Be lovingly cautious of your good name for the good you can do your fellow men. Avoid that which is high. Run no danger ous risks.
 But we must not limit our theme here. Be prayerfuly cautious about your faith in God and your relationship to God. Be careful that you never do anything to en- danger that deep, earnest gospel faith in Jesus Christ which you learned at your Christian mothers knee Be careful that you never go with those men and women who are accustomed to cast a slur upon the cross or to joke about the divin- ity of Jesus Christ. Be careful also that you never read book which will in any way sap your religious vitality. I know some people like to make the foolish boast that they are strongminded enough not to fear contact with evil associates or evil books. Thomas Jefferson in his old age wrote a beautiful letter to John Adams. It went something like this: "I thank you for the book you have just sent. l have made 1t the rule of my life for the last fifty years never to be afraid to read any kind of book. and I shall study this one with pleasure" But though that sentence may seem to be q very brave statement. I believe it is very foolish one to make. There are books-evil books which you and 1 should shun. They are infidel companions you and l should fear. You have no more right to run any use less risks about your faith in God by perusing bad books or by assoclating with blasphemous and sneering infldel com panions than you have to risk your physi- cal life or good name by that which IS high"
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