The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-03-28

he could deny nothing when be was
alive, had to deny themselves every
thing when he was dead. His only son.
the pride of his heart, the boy to whom
be gave unlimited pocket money a:ltl
sent across the seas on pleasure trips,
applied few years ago in Chicago fOi
the position of a janitor and he could
not get work at that. This was the
aftermath of the career of a man who
purchased the unstable friendships OF
a fleeing moment by being untrue to
the best interests Of his own wife and
children. Now, men, you have no right
to help your brother with an in,lorse-
ment If at the same time it compels
you to become untrue to those who are
dependent upon you. You have no right
to give the luxuries to your neighbors
until you first provide the necessities
for your own household Can you af-
ford to pay that Endorsement for your
friend? Dare you risk the temporal
and perhaps the spiritual welfare Of
your children by that hidden trap?
Careless Method.
But another danger turks over the
indorser's trap. BY going upon a
friends note man may be teaching
his friend to be careless-aye, sinful]y
careless-with money. DR.. Bowers
once wrote: 'Temptation resembles the
rocks which rest their jagged sides
above the waves when it Is low water
No vessel dare come near them. But
after awhile the tide comes sweeping
into the bay and buries the rocks under
food Of water, 50 that the largest
ships may ride in safety above their
teeth Of death, together with the light
est skiff" That is beautiful orator
zeal figure. But the incoming tide vii!
soon be the outgoing tide Then woe
betide the boat that fingers there over
the Jagged rocks Of death! Yet the
temporary financial help we give our
brothers by Endorsement or unjust
credit may be the means Of carrying
them into a position where they shall
soon meet temporal as we'll as spiritual
shipwreck.
| Why temporal and spiritual wreck :!
you ask. In the first place, start with
| the premise that many people are
| tempted just as much as they can
bear. Place upon them one extra
| temptation, and you may lead them t.
| become dishonest men and women.
| For instance, the other day l was
reading about one Of the great pro
ventives of crime which are decreas
ing the proportion Of the number Of our
| criminals. This preventive is the reg
istering machine which is now pl;lc
| ed at almost ! cashiers desk an -.
| in every street car No sooner is The
five cent piece collected than the con
ductor has to ring up the fare No
sooner is the spool Of cotton or the
pound Of sugar or coffee bought thai,
the register records the sale At the
end Of the day the clerks or conductors
must have their registers tally with.
the amount of money on hand. Tent;
tation Is now being placed at a mini
mum. Lessen the temptation to crime.
and you lessen the number of future
criminals
This premise granted, do you not Sc"
how you increase the temptations Of
your friends If you place money in
their hands for which they are unable
to give security? You practically say
to that young man: Here, my friend
is my capital. You are worth nothing
You take this money, and l will trust
you" What thought, then, is apt to
come to that young man? He says to
himself: ''1f l risk that money l may
be able to double it. If l lose it, why
then might as we'll be financially lost
for a sheep as for a kid. am worth
nothing now. I shall be no worse of
even If fail" And what is the re-
| suit? We see thousands Of men going
into wildcat speculations with other
peoples funds. We see thousands up
on thousands Of dollars lost because
men are risking money which is not
their own. My friend, as an indorser
you have no right to lead your bcothe:
into temptation. If a brother has no
money and no security do not teac!.
him how to be criminally reckless with
capital not his own.
The Greatest Danger.
The indorser's trap may not only EN-.
danger the indorser, but also the in
dorser's loved ones and the indorset
as well. Ralph Erskine once said,
There is no devil so bad as no devil"
That means, interpreted in plain Eng
lish, ''There Is no temptation SO DAN
gerous as where one does not expect
to find a temptation" But l do 40.
see how Ralph Erskjne's words can
be applied to my text, for see dan
gers everywhere lowering about tn.
indorser's trap. l find them here foi
the man who sets the trap. find them
for the person whose fingers hold the
pen which is caught in the trap.
find them for all the dear ones Oh both
sides Of the indorser and the indorsee.
Every argument that can be urge.
against the cause Of willfully running
into debt may be applied here to the
sin of indiscriminate Endorsement.