The good or ill of a man’s life has the habit of following after him,
even tho his efforts have ceased in death. The power of influence which
visibly abides is illustrated by a writer who describes the tracks of
ships at sea being visible by the smooth wakes of oil they leave behind
them, long after they have disappeared:
I have frequently seen such tracks as Franklin observed out at
sea, and have climbed to the masthead in order to sight the
ship that produced them without seeing her. Several of such
smooth, shining tracks have been observed at the same time, but
no ship visible, and this in places where no sail has been seen
for days before or after.
(1611)
* * * * *
It is being said by many that the present prohibition condition
in Georgia is due largely to the work of Sam Jones. He died
October, 1906. Thinking that he was out of the way, the liquor
men of Bartow County, in June of the following year, determined
to call a new election under the local option law. It seemed
to them that they could now win with Sam Jones eliminated. The
anti-liquors also went to work and did all they could, but were
not overconfident of victory. The result was astonishing. The
vote, approximately, was eighty-five for the liquor men and
1,686 “for Sam Jones and prohibition.” His name had been mounted
on the ballots, and it had worked like magic. This news gave
courage to other counties and one after another banished liquor,
till the whole State shook off the monster. Is there anywhere a
more striking example of the influence of the good man who keeps
pegging away? A good life can never die. (Text.)
(1612)
=Influence, Unconscious=--See CONSISTENCY.