Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-04-01
8uslnOss Mems PPOmisOs.


Vrom N. Y. Inpedendent.
The easiest things to make or to
break are promises. They are more
brittle than glass. 1t is surprising to
what extent loose morality on the
subject of keeping ones word is preva-
lent among business men Many a
merchant in good standing, would
care less for breaking his promise than
for breaking his watch crystal. This
general laxity has largely contributed
to making the distinction which now
unhappily exists between mercantile
and common morality.
Many men imagine that the only
instances in which they can dishonor
their word is by telling falsehood. or
breaking a contract. They are truth
full only so far as to avoid lying, and
honest only according to a written
bond. But when honesty has no
other virtue than policy, it IS not of
kind fit to be at the foundation OF bust
ness.
How many persons regard YER
bal promise as OF less force than writ,
ten one Just as if man should
honor more his pen and ink, but dis
honor his own lips! Yet how common
is it to give verbal promise without
the least thought offulfilling it-mere-
ly, oftentimes, to get rid Of importuni-
ty, or to avoid a seeming discourtesy 2
For example, some time ago, in one of
our large cities, well known mcrch-
ant, whose honesty and promptness
had made his notes as good as gold,
had occasion to solicit q moderate loan
from the bank. He accordingly went
to one of the directors and asked, "Will
the bank favor me with fifteen hun
dred dollars, on my note at three
months 2" Certainly" replied the
director; "to-morrow is discount day:
send in your paper" The merchant
went to another director, and asked
the same question. "Of course, sill"
was the reply. He then went to third
and received similar hearty assurance.
But having some suspicion that these
promises were thoughtlessly given, he
went to every member of the board,
and received from each scperate an
swer to the same effect. The next
day the board met, and his application
was made; but as the money market
happened to be tight, and the directors
themselves were IN want of funds, he
acas refused! Thus the board repudia-
ted as a body, the unanimous promise
which they had made on their honor
as Individuals Now, how many thou
sands of men in banks and out, in
boards and out, in counting houses and
in the street, make and unmake such
promises every day Of their lives
Then, too, how often man writes
mechanically 81 promise to pay"
without any thought Of the words he is
writing, and consequently without any
thought of the payment he is promis-
ing! When we look at bank bill,
the crisp paper, engraved, registered,
and signed, entirely absorbs in itself
our idea of its value, so that we handle
it hundred times, as paper, without
once thinking fthe gold it represents.
In the same manner, merchant may
from long habit look upon his notes as
mere paper, easily Written and easily
made to slide through the market
giving no due heed to the Specification
Of which the paper is only the symbol.
But when man gives or takes a pro-
missory note, without stopping long
enough to entertain due sense of the
meaning of its promise, and Of the re.
sponsibility which results from having
made it, he is preparing himself grad
ual insensibility for final moral dis
honesty.
So, too, men indorse notes, without
any adequate conscientious regard to
the import Of their Endorsement. They
do not mean t. stake the risk" but
only to " do the favor" Now an in.
dorsement, to be worth anything, must
be in equal good faith with the draft
ing Of the note. The drawer and the
indorser are in copartncrship in the
transaction Wecannot see how it is less
wrong for man to break his work on
the back Of piece of paper than on
its tace.
1t is we'll known that many men ara
more punctual in paying a note due at
q bank, than due at a counter. But
an obligation to corporation cannot
possibly be more binding than an indi-
vidaal. Others pay their notes prompA
ly, through fear of protestby = notary,
when, if the protest were to come only
from their own conscience, they would
give it no hssd. Many othsss, who
oaaaot afford sot to "pay their notss,"
think there h no wrong in delaying TO
pay their Gosh billA bit 4 4 b d.
vegetable - allov I 1slD = = ! ~
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