had determined to accept it, though it took their
children out of school, and took away their meat dinner. When the hour
appointed for the conference came, prudence would have dictated that
every cause of irritation be guarded against. But the employer
foolishly drove his liveried carriage into the center of the vast
crowd of workmen, and for an hour flaunted his wealth before the
sore-hearted miners. When the men saw the footman, the prancing
horses, the gold-plated harness, and thought of their starving wives,
they reversed their acceptance of the cut in wages. They plunged into
a long strike, taking this for their motto: "Furs for his footmen and
gold plate for his horses, and also three meals a day for our wives
and children." Now, the ensuing strike and riots, long protracted,
cost England L5,000,000. But that bitter strike was all needless.
These are the men who take off the chariot wheels for God's advancing
hosts. When one comes to the front who has skill in allaying friction,
all society begins a new forward march. Skill in personal carriage
has much to do with a man's value.

Integrity enhances human worth. Iniquities devastate a city like fire
and pestilence. Social wealth and happiness are through right living.
Goodness is a commodity. Conscience in a cashier has a cash value. If
arts and industries are flowers and fruits, moralities are the roots
that nourish them. Disobedience is slavery. Obedience is liberty.
Disobedience to law of fire or water or acid is death. Obedience to
law of color gives the artist his skill; obedience to the law of
eloquence gives the orator his force; obedience to the law of iron
gives the inventor his tool; disobedience to the law of morals gives
waste and want and wretchedness. That individual or nation is
hastening toward poverty that does not love the right and hate the
wrong. So certain is the penalty of wrongdoing that sin seems
infinitely stupid. Every transgression is like an iron plate thrown
into the air; gravity will pull it back upon the wrongdoer's head to
wound him. It has been said for a man to betray his trust for money,
is for him to stand on the same intellectual level with a monkey that
scalds its throat with boiling water because it is thirsty. A drunkard
is one who exchanges ambrosia and nectar for garbage. A profligate is
one who declines an invitation to banquet with the gods that he may
dine out of an ash barrel. What blight is to the vine, sin is to a
m