The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-06-16

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seems to prove that there is no posi-
bic danger OF your being compelled tC
pay. Then, FOR friendships sake. you
sign the fatal note.
or perhaps the man wants a respon
sible position. He Is about to be ap
pointed cashier Of some institution. lie
says he must have certain indorsers
! and down goes your name. Now, my
brother, ii would be all right for you tC
| sign your name there II you felt you
could afford TO make good that pledge
if II ever came back to you. But the
trouble is that most Of us, with our
present financial struggles. cannot af-
ford TO pay. Aye. ] go further than
this-nine men out Of ten. nlnety-nine
men out OF a hundred. nine hundred
and ninety-nine men out Of thousand
never can pay or intend to pay the
notes they indOrSe for the benefit OF
their friends. As soon as the notes
| fall due and come back upon the in
dOrSers they begin 10 squirm and twist
and try TO wriggle out Of their diff
culties.
Is not the picture truei What would
you do If you were asked to pay the
dishonest debts Of your friends which
you indorsed? Would you do It?
Would you do IT even II you had in
dorSed their notes and could find a
loophole TO crawl outf Would you do
| it. as did Sir Walter Scott? Would You
/ do it even though it cost you your life
| 10 die an honest man? Would you
| pay those indOrsed notes, as William
Mckinley paid the ones he indorsed for
a friendf In order TO pay those notes
he literally gave up all his own money
/ and all his wfes money. \ short time
| before his death he was talking to a
ministerial friend Of mine. and he said
Mr. Campbell, people sometimes won
der why | am so devoted to my wife.
/ Could any husband but an migrate be
otherwise when his wife willingly gave
up all she had to save his hOnOrF'
William Mckinley never expected to
be called upon to pay those mdorsed
notes. but he paid them. Would You
pay, n necessary, those notes you are
about TO indOrse, as William Mckinley
paid? Or would you repudiate or at
least try TO repudiate those debts, as
hundreds and thousands have dOnef
Dare You. with your present financial
burdens. risk the sinful temptation
of repudiatiOn which you may have to
face if you become financial surety
for friendI
But as ] see the old mother bear
struggling 10 get her paw out OF the
fatal trap do not pity her. even with
all her sufferings, nearly as much as
do the little cubs who are dependent
upon her for their lives As | see a
man struggling in the indOrser's trap,
with all his misfortunes, / do not feel
nearly so sorry for him as do for his
wife and especially for his children,
who are dependent upon him for fnan-
cial support. Yet to hear some people
talk you would suppose that in order
to be kind, loving, big hearted, gener-
Gus. a man should be ready TO help all
his friends and when they need II TO
sign all their notes, no matter what
might be the financial danger that man
may run In reference TO his own chill
dren. Now, my friends, / believe one
Of the best tests Of true, big hearted
man is not how he looks after his
friends notes so much as how he first
looks after his own flesh and blood
DO you mean to tell me there is any
honor, any justice, any big heartedness,
in a man going upon friends note
when in order TO do II he may have TO
take the very bread out Of his chill
drens mouths and the clothing Off their
backs and the old homestead away
from their inherltance3 This is Just
what many men have done I'm order TO
win the name Of being big hearted.
recall to mind one Of this type whom
the world eulOgized as a kind man.
but who purchased that eulogy at
fearful price. The man OF whom
speak was for years the president Of a
New York company. His income was at
least $4,000 per year; but, though he
made much, he spent much Every
person I'm distress could go to him for
succ0r and get It. His name was on
scores OF notes. Every little while he
would gather FIVE, ten, fifteen, of his
daughters friends together and give
them a banquet and a good time"
The last act of his life was to buy
family plot for policeman who was
about to bury his little girl. When
that man died the beautiful acts of
kindness which be did were recOunted
at his bier.
But would you like me to tell you
the aftermath or the second sowing Of
that life Of indiscrlminate generosityl
The notes he had signed for friends his
estate had to pay. The moneys he had
lent here and there and everywhere
were never paid back. Caring for ev-
cry one but those Of his own house, he
became in the sight OF God worse than
an ln6del. His two daughters. to whom
he could deny nothing when he was
alive, had TO deny themselves every
thing when he was dead. His only son.
the pride Of his heart. the boy to whom
he gave unlimited pocket money and
sent across the seas on pleasure trips,
applied few years ago in Chicago for
the position Of a janltor, 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 feeting moment by being untrue to
the best interests Of his own wife and |
children.
But another danger turks over the |
indorsers trap. BY going upon a
friends note man may be teaching |
his friend TO be careless-aye, sinfully |
careless-with money DR.. Bowers |
once wrote: Temptation resembles the !
rocks which rest their Jagged sides
above the waves when II is low water.
No vessel dare come near them. But /