Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-07-15


scandal"
Case of Schuyler Collar.
Let me tell you how Schuyler Col
fax was politically ruined. He was at
heart an honest man. He was promi'
nent member of the Christian church.
For years his name was the synonym
of all that was good and true. My IA
ther told me that il thousand men
had come to him and before column
of Bibles a mile high had sworn that
SCHUYLER Colfax was dishonest he
would have denounced every one OF
them as a perjurer. He had known
Schuyler Colfax for years. He knew
he might be guilty Of an indiscretion,
but of an intentional dlshonesty-ney'
er! What was his indiscretion? Some
dishonest men were trying to organize
a fraudulent conspiracy under a guise
of building the Union Pacific railroad.
The company was capitalized at $3,-
100000. In order to induce a gulliDle
public to take stock the promoters OF
this company came and said to Vice
President Colfax, 1--WE will make you
n present Of so much stock for the use
of your name, which will give US
standing In the community" Schuyler
Colfax. being a professional man and
not n business man, was innocently
caught In the trap. He did not intend
TO do any wrong. He thought the busl-
ness enterprise OF building a transcon-
tinental railroad worthy one. He
thought the valee Of his good name
worth the price snerod. But when
the scoundrelly promoters OF this COM
pany had ilched the money out OF the
pockets OF the American people ana
decamped the accumulated wrath OF
the people as hurricane broke over
SCHUYLER Colfax's head, and he was
driven into political oblivion. NOW"
said my father to me, never FISK
YOUR good name. Never be drawn into
any financial enterprise in the out
come Of which you cannot as an honest
man face the world with clean hands
Thus I say to you: Never risk your
good name. Never risk 1t by evil as
sociates. Never risk 1t in shady fnan-
cial 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 whicn
is high. Run no dangerous risks.
But we must not limit our theme
here. Be prayerfully cautious about
your faith In God and your relationship
TO God. Be careful that you never do
ANYTHING to endanger that deep, ear
nest gospel faith in Jesus Christ which
you learned at your Christian mothers
knee. Be careful that you never 60
with those men and women who are
accustomed to cast slur upon the
cross or to joke about the divinity OF
Jesus Christ. Be careful also that you
never read Il book which will In any
way sap your religious vitality. 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 Jet'
ferson in his old age wrote a beautlful
letter to John Adams. 1t went some
thing like this: Il thank you for the
book you have Just sent l have made
II the rule of my life for the last fifty
years never to be afraid to read any
kind Of book, and l shall study this
one with pleasure" But, though that
sentence may seem to be very brave
statement, believe it Is a very foolish
one to make. There are books-eyil
books-which you and should shun
They are infidel companions you and
should fear. You have no more right
to run any useless risks about your
faith in God by perusing bad books OF
by associating with blasphemous and
sneering infidel companions than yot
have to risk your physical life or good
name by that (which Is high"
Let not the legendary course OF the
old saint be your course. Perhaps yor
have read about the temptation of st
Anthony Of Alexandria. Born to greaI
wealth and social position, he gave
AWAY all and clothed himself in monk:
garb and went to dwell in hermit'
cell I'm order to purify his life fol
| Christ. Then Satan came to temp
him with his hirehngs. Satan filleC
his table with the costliest of wines
and viands and said, "Monk, eat ant
drink and make merry with me-" Blu
Anthony turned his face to the wal
and prayed to God to give him strength
to resist the temptations of the flesh
Then Satan incarnated his devils in tn
bodies Of the most beautiful Of wan
tons. who came to the cell and said
"Come and love me-" Then Satan ar
gued with the hermit against the ex
[ istence of Christ and why he shoult
yield TO temptation until in great az
ony of mind and body St Anthon.
swooned dead away. The hermit
came and found him thus and tool
him away. But no sooner did st. An
thony open his eyes than he SAID
"Take me back. Take me back to IN.
CELL" And when they took him bacl
and left him there alone and he again
saw the Satanic tempter st. Anthon,
cried out, saying: AHA, thou arcl
fiend! Didst thou think I had fed? s
here l am again, 1, Anthony, to der,
thee! 1 challenge all thy malice.
spit on thee. have come back t
combat thee" Beautiful story that
though there is not the best OF gospe
teaching in that legend.
The Way to Resist.
The Bible says, "Resist the devil, ant
he will fee away from you" But tn
same chapter also says, Draw nigh I
God. and he will draw nigh to you.
And one Of the easiest ways we cal
draw nigh to God is to run away iron
temptation just as fast as we can. ou