American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-11-18

we thought incapable of its commission. Aside from
crimes committed in bursts of anger, they are all the
products of thoughts that have preceded them. The mind
had been prepared, the criminal already produced by the
process OF SLOW but steady growth, and only the develop
ment of circumstances suitable to its commission was re-
quired. Continued thoughts of crime ultimately lead to
crime. Continued thoughts of any course of action. our
Idle and apparently unimportant day-dreams, eventually
lead to the adoption of that course of action.
The state was startled a few days ago, by the murder
in cold blood of five people by a %vengeful father and hus-
band at Carey. The mind was prepared for the commits
sion of the deed days and weeks, probably, before it was
done. In his waking hours the murderer brooded over
his wrongs, real or fancied, possibly at first without SER
ious thoughts of crime; with the passing of time he be-
came more and more embittered and revengeful-a steady
but sure g~rowth-finally thinking murder by day and
dreaming murder by night. When his mind was fully pre-
pared, and not before, the shocking deed was done. When
he shipped the gun from Ogden for the purpose of commit
ting the deed he was already a murderer, and was as great
a demon as his n~eighbors realized him to be a few hours
later. He had made himself a murderer by the thoughts
he had harbored. He thought murder, planned murder,
and then committed murder-a thing he was doubtless in
capable of for a long time after his troubles began.
Every successful business man is the idel for some boy.
Boys dream of great wealth. At some stage of their lives
wealth is the one great ambition of their lives. Cen
orally some local business man inspires them. by his sue
cess, and they adopt him, his manerisms, his methods, and
so far as they can appreciate them, his ideals. If the ideal
thus chosen is of high clean conduct, good purposes and
good morals, what a far reaching influence he may become
for good; and if the reverse is true, how great an evil in
fluence he may exert. Every business man and every citi-
zen owes an obligation to society which he can not escape.
Every child has an ideal. In early childhood it is a faith
er or a mother. A little later it may be a near relative or a
playmate. Later still it may be some leading community
spirit, some successful business man, some social leader,
or some book hero or heroine. That ideal is always found
among the narrow circle of childhood acquaintance or
upon the shelves of the library. How essential it is then,
that during the character forming years, children and
young people should have the right kind of literature, the
right kind of p%laymates, and the right kind of examples
from older people with whom they are thrown. The ideal
which will largely shape the future life will come from one
or all of these.
Every citizen has a responsibility which he may but
family realize. The more prominent or successful he may
be the greater his influence, and the greater a factor he
will be either for good or evil. His deeds, and the thoughts
to which he gives expression are his sermons. His prom
.inence in business or social affairs appeal strongly to
some, and bid them emulate his example and follow his
footsteps, If his character is exalted, his life worthy, he
is a community blessing; if in these qualities he is above
the average of the community he is still a moral asset; but
if he should rate below the average, or be still less worthy,
he is a community moral liability and a source of evil lnflu-
ence. Note the children and the young people of any com
munity; note the character and accomplishments OF those
with whom they associate or whom they hold in esteem,
and you have an unerring guide to the kind Of characters
they are forming. They will be like their ideals to the full
limit Of their understanding and opportunities; VIII emu
late and initiate, and largely form their ideas of right and
wrong according to the acts and expressions of their mod
els. Like the growth of a plant, the qualities or traits
one admires grows stronger day by day until they form a
character for him which he can no more escape or get
away from than from his shadow.
Every life is a sermon and influences TO a greater or
lesser extent every other life with which it comes in con-
tact. Everyones example is a guide or an inspiration Tor
someone else. We are all preachers or teachers Whether
we realize it or not. What should concern us is, is our
life-sermon a worthy message; will 1t bear repeating; is
it a etter-than-the-averag sermon, and as good as our
limited understanding and abilities enable us to make.
If not, it is not the right kind and reflects dlscredlt TO
the exact degree of its shortcomings, and inflicts an in
Justice upon all who are forced to come within its range.
Others may refuse to hear us, but we can not help listening
to our own sermons, nor being affected by them. AS our