Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-03
Buying Diamonds on Credit.
III D. jenkins, D. D.. in Sioux City Journal

In the city to know it, Why" was
the natural inquiry. Because the first
step in a criminal career is never GRIM
inal. It is only foolish and in nine
cases out of ten 1t is mourning debt
for a snowy turnout" Since that time
the taxi may have takan the place
Of the high stopper, but the facts till
remains that debt. needless, irredeem-
able debt, lies at the source OF many
a criminal career.
A servant girl was showing US her
last Christmas present. She had been
in America only two years, but she
had caught the pace. Her presents
embraced two silk blouses, one en-
broidered waist, several silk hose and
a gold wrist watch. My son. Bill. Is
just home an officer, from the Philip
pines" said fond father not long
ago Il was glad to have the boy
home, but he cost me $1,000 between
his landing in San Francisco and his
reaching Chicago" Another father
said about the same time: When
was a boy in college 1 cost my father
about $500 year. My boy cost me
s3,7OO in the last year at an eastern
university" A pretty young girl was
showing us the piano her father had
recently given her as a birthday pres
sent" The father died suddenly few
months later and 1t took 81 1000 of his
$4,000 insurance to pay for that piano,
later sold to second hand dealer for
$3.50.
Any one who notes how our states
have bene obliged to start state
pawners' Offices to save men victims
Of the debt habit will realize that
needless debt, debt incurred thru love
of display or love of pleasure, has per-
haps ruined as many families as love
of drink. Thousands of wage earners
are paying from "a 20 IS pa- cent upon
debts-borrowed from loan sharks-for
vacations automobiles, or perhaps blue
ribbon dogs from bench show, and
we have known one teacher on $1,000
a year to mortgage mis- home for 81 900
to pay visit to the Holy Land! Men
with not too nice moral sense will
sometimes start business on borrowed
capital. pay dividends out of stock
subscriptions and, before they realize
they have committed not simply mis-
take, but crime, be brought face to
face with the grim alternative, the
choice between a felon's cell and a sui
cide's grave.
Undoubtedly there are those to
whom such a theme as this may ap-
pear purely secular" But st. Paul
realized that the christian would meet
more men OF the world in the shop,
the market and the oank than he
would in the prayer meeting. The
public does not estimate mans re-
ligion by his fluency in prayer, but by
his reliability in money transactions.
A financial obligation ought to be as
sacred as an ordination vow, and yet
we have known ministers who could
never be taught the meaning of bal
ance written in red ink" We have
in mind one excellent brother, who en-
tered upon new work with salary In
creased over what had sufficed for his
predecessor. In the three years he
stayed the salary was twice further
increased and when he left, he left
debts which it took the church more
than six months to pay up. That
church has not known revival
since.
II is vain to call such transactions
simply the result Of poor judgment"
They are due to defective standard
of morality, and reckless finance
shades down into dishonest finance 80
imperceptibly that every man profess
ing religious motives should 90 con-
duct his business that re can not only
have the approval Of mis-, own con-
science, but provide things honest in
the sight Of all men," The debt which
is incurred for the qualification Of
vanity, or luxury, or highly specu-
lative profits, is an immoral debt,
and will in the end, as Paul says.
pierce man thru with many sor-
rows" H d. JENKINS, d. D. 1