The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-04-08
THE VICES OF BUSINESS.
Some of the "Ways that are Dark and
Tricks that are Vain - in Trade ana
Public Affa irs.


From Scribner's Monthly.
Two suggestive incidents will intro
duce to our readers vice of business
which ought to be reformed before it
assumes the magnitude and universal
itv which it is sure to achieve, unless
efficient steps are taken to arrest its
progress.
INCIDENT No. IA builder of fur
nances was callea upon recently to name
a price for heating large structure In a
large city. He offered to put in his
apparatus for $50, 600. After repeated
conversations with sundry persons in
terested the contracts, he was told that
the man who should secure the job
would be obliged to pay percentage
to them-in this case amounting to
S3.oOO-the bill, of course, to be rem
party to the fraud upon the owners of
the building He told them that he
wanted the job, but that as he also
had desire to go to heaven when he
died, he was afraid he should be ebl1g-
ed to decline their condition. He also
suggested that he should like to bid
for the Job with others, and was in
formed that not q single contract on the
building had been given to the lowest
bidder Then he was politely bowed
out of the presence Of the gentlemen
who could not use him He went
home, and as an experiment sent them
a proposal to put in his apparatus for
S25, OOO From this he never heard
and some man with more convenient
conscience got the contract and gave
the percentage.
INCIDENT No. "A piano forte man
ufacturer sold an instrument, at his re-
gular retail price, to a gentleman of
New York Within forty-eight hours
he was called upon by three musicians,
every one of whom demanded his per
centage upon the sale of the piano,
claiming that it was bought upon his
recommendation. The purchaser, to
make sure of getting the best instru-
ment had separately consulted all these
men, and they had happened to agree
upon this maker The result was, that
the maker paid each man the amount
OF his claim, and said nothing, though
he parted with considerable more than
his profits on the piano forte. When
asked by the friend to whom he told
the story, why he submitted to such
an imposition, he replied that he did
not dare to do otherwise that if he
had refused to respond to these ex-
actions, the musicians would have
turned against him, and transferred
their recommendations to other max
ers.
The way in which corporations are
bled by the leeches that fasten upon
them is notorious. The men in re-
- IL L
ration as the legitimate subject of plum
der, are too many to be counted. Tax
payers and stockholders part annually
with untold millions to fill the purses
of their dishonest men, and the mouths
OF their mendacious servants and
tools. There are states in the Union
In whice the public conscience has be
come utterly demoralized in relation to
this particular matter-where every
corporation, including Mutual Life In
surance Companies and Savings Banks,
is in some way "sweated y by those
who have the management of it's con
Germs. In most instances this result
Is achieved under the cover of law
but, in some, gigantic robberies are af-
fected by the purchase not only of the
officers, but by the makers of the law
The process cannot long go on, of
course, without sucha sophistication of
the popular conscience that private
trusts will be as little regarded as
those which are corporate and public
Indeed, it has already produced it's
proper fruit, as the incidents we have
cited show. Men are everywhere seek
ing for money which they do not earn
It is quite likely that the piano-dealer
is as much to blame for his bondage to
to the musicians as they are. He may
have invited their patronage, indeed
and promised them their pay; bat it is
eli wrong, and the money comes out of
the consumer in the long run. The
pr1ce of everything must be raised that
tribute may be paid to those who are in
position to exact or steal it. If we
go on at the present rate, we shall soon
be no whit behind our European neigh
hors, whose servants are bribed by
butchers and bakers, and who demand
their drink money for every ser
vice, IN addition to their legitimate
wages. Every man who conInves at
this mode of doing business is not
only voluntary, but meanly mercen-
airy corruption of the people.
There is no question that in this mat
ter of personal honesty America has
refrigerated within the last ten years.
The rich corporation and the rich man
are coming to be regarded by trades
men anu laborers alike as sources Of
money which these draw on to the ex-
tent of their ability, without rendering
an equivalent. An honest days work
IS much harder thing to get to-day
than it was ten years ago: and unless a
reformation takes place, the good old
standard of personal honesty among
the laboring poor, and of bushes in
tegrity among the prosperous, will
become thing of remembrance only.
If 1T were necessary, whole branches of
business might be mentioned which
pay regular tax to " influence" to
men who have thrust themselves be
tween the seller and the buyer for the
simple purpose of fleeing one or both.
Many product of ingenuity and
toll is obliged to buy every inch of its
way to the consumer and a thousand
improvements which affect the public
convenience and comfort fail of adopt
ion unless their profits are shared with
the influence ana power to which thew
appeal. Congress and the Legislatures
do not monopolize the lobby, for the lob
byis everywhere. Black-mail, commits
sions, bonuses, gifts, the feathering of
private nests among the recesses of
great corporate interests, positions
sought. won and used for purposes of