The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-17
From HUNTS Merchants Magazine
Honesty in Mercantile Life.

II merchants do moi cultivate the sterling virtues
OF mercantile honor and honesty they charge the
Merchants Magazine with being derect Of duty, We
have given them cline upon line, and precept upon pre-
eepi !" and now having oursef almost exhausted the
subject we may perhaps, be allowed 10 reproduce a
homiy from our clever contemporary Of the Merchants
Ledger
There are good many merchants who think that hon.
esty in everyday business matters is incompatible with
success. They think that in order to get along
they must practise certain degree of tekey and de-.
cepton They argue that the up-anddown honest man,
who will from the path OF rectltude, is sure
fail in whatever he undertakes and hence they jus
tiy themselves in practising petty well as wholesale
Discrimination and in taking advantage OF the yerdancy OF
their customers under the plea that custom and necessity
compel them TO adopt this course. The highwayman
might, with as good degree o. plausbihty, advance
similar theory justify his depredaons, only that his
calling not quite as general as that OF the merchant
There not 80 many men who threaten your life, If
you do moi comply with their demands. as there are
dealers who Justify general imposition and fraud and that
makes the seeming difference between the honesty OF The
highway robber and that Of the merchant who celbe-
raley uptruths. and misTepesens the value OF
article in order that he may effect sale Of goods.
We firmly believe that the man who possesses the
requisite business qualifications succeed better in the
mercantile field by pursuing honest straight forward
courae, than il he 10 deaden his conscience and
disregard all moral obligations by amassing riches 10 last
Tor brief perod) the expense OF the unwary and mex
ly but on III: sly" az the custom is We frequently
hear the expression made in reference TO good
tured, inactive. old womansh man, 20. he's foo honest 10
get along" Now, this is false inference for in nine
ou Of Ten the honest mans failure does not arise
from the practise OF honest course, but from hs
fitness for the business in which he is engaged We do
not by any intend to convey the impression that
honesty will cause a man who is not qualified for the
business in which he is engaged TO succeed What we
mean TO assert, and the impression that we would leave
on the minds OF the readers OF the Ledger s that
who is adapted fora certain pursuit uU and
sarlly succeed better by dealing honestly and uprighl
than by cheating and deaudng when he thinks he will
not be detected.
But, in addition the matter of success, how cheerful
and pleasant the condition of the who knows and
feels that he is doing honest busness--a business
which his conscience approves This is OF more value
to him than the possession of millions. II is source Of
happiness which the fashionable swndler e.
aze appreciate Let every honest merchant, then,
be encouraged by these reflections; and if he does
wealth rapidly as he could desire, he can find
abundant consolation in the old version of the words oil
the "sweet singer Of Israel -
g A lit,le that Just hath
Is aud better far,
Than Is the wealth of many such
As false and wicked are
:" have been young, but old,
Yet have never
The just man left, nor that his seed
For brea have bpe