The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-14
INSINCfRE MAN IS
CAUSE OF MUCH HARM
Ten Good Men Cannot NuIIify
the Damage Done by One
Hypocrite

cording to the proverb-and by the
way, proverbs seem to be in the air
just now-everybody is studying them,
and this one is proven every day. In
fact, the truth of sayings that have
grown into being with the ages, and
are called proverbs, is often doubted,
and sometimes we say that we would
not pay any attention to a cut and dried
proverb, and yet how few of us have
not tested their reliability and found
them absolutely true Now in regard
to this particular one, example is bet
ter than precept," how much it covers
and how incontrovertible it is that a
man is judged by the way he acts, not
by the preceptS he voices. 1t is the
habit of youth to believe that each one
of us lives to himself alone; what he
does and how he conducts himself are
solely his business. But he does not
have TO live in the world very long be-
fore he discovers that invisible ties
bind him to his fellow men, and that by
his conduct he not only makes or mars
his own character, but unconsciously
is molding for good or evil those about
him. When he fully realizes this, a man
often becomes wholly different and tries
to repair the discredit he has reflected
upon the code of ethics he has es-
pouSed.
The standard of religion, ethics or
conduct which a man advocates is
just SO much injured when he does not
live up to his avowed creed. And when
a person espouses a cause by joining
some religious or ethical organization,
If he does not live up to it, he is known
by the unpleasant name Of hypocrite.
Hypocrisy is the most despicable thing
in the world, and the most harmful
r. FAR CT tin Of fc hot anf
only hurt the hypocrite. but Injuries
untold numbers Of well meaning peo-
pie everywhere. One hypocrite, going
to church on Sunday with sanctimo-
NOUS mein, may do more harm than
twenty saints could counteract
To take pieces out of ones neighbor,
to cheat, to lie, to steal, during six days
OF the week, and then be found in the
front pew in church on the first day,
and high up in its councils and upon
countless boards of charitable endeavor,
is what, more than anything else, is
turning men against churches and into
unbelievers.
The precept of edo as you would be
done by" in the modern acception is
do others or they will do you.'' And
this is not a joke, nor merely slang
term, 1t is literally true. For SO strange
and devious have become some of the
modern business methods that 1T is
really fact that If you do not "do up"
somebody-as slang has it--he will do
you up.
The measure of responsibility toward
any cause with which we have identi-
he'd ourselves is often left out of ac-
count by us. But it is greater than we
dream of. The story of the man who
was always promptly in his pew on
Sunday at church, who officiated at
prayer meeting in the middle of the
week, spoke at all meetings of young
men, but whose business methods We're
notoriously crooked, is told with yari-
Gus notifications and with different
names and places. Once, it is said,
that one of his employees heard the
good advice given by him and deter.
mined to act upon it in business af-
fairs, but to his amazement he found
ms employer did not care for his
straight way of selling goods, and when
taxed with his ways, the young man
told of his determination to live up to
the words spoken by the other. where
upon his employer told him that "his
religion was one thing and his business
another" That tells the whole story.
!t is the members of churches who
br1ng the greatest discredit upon them.
What possible good can it do to go to
church regularly on Sunday and then
clfeat and lie during the remainder of
the week? 1t would be infinitely better
Tor man to stay away from church.
pecduse whenever he plays the hypo-
crlte he is doing untold harm to count
less good men and women. 1t goes
without saying there are men without
number who go to church on SUNDAYS
and practice what they profess dur
ing the week, but unfortunately the
good influence of ten such men can be
completely nullified by one hypocrite.
A man who makes profession of any
Kind, is constantly being watched. If
he does not live up to the precepts
which he would impose on others. he Is
opening the door to all sorts of unbe
lief and doubt. Example is better
than precept," and is an object lesson.
When man lives well, one naturally
mas a respect for what that man be-
heVes, because belief preeedes action
as cause comes before effect. Rut
when in his speech he avows one thing
and his conduct bellies his words. then
the man is hypocrite. DO as I saw
and not as 1 do" was said once by
man who was one thing by precept and
another by example. But so long as
men and women are human and not
angels, they are going to lose respect
Tor an organization which is disbon-
ofed by those who give iip service
only.