Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-11-14

lawful or unjust appropriation of the
| property Ofothers. Every snch apprO-
| priatiOn is stealing. It will be seen that
thus interpreted, stealing is one of the
| commonest crimes. This includes
ALL FALSE PRETENsE IN BUSINESS.
such as representing an article on sale to
be better than it is. Home manufacturers
are branded and sold for foreign prUduc-
tI9ns The increase in price is stolen
Pdrls shawls, French wares and HAVANA
cigars are largely manufactured in New
England. This kind Of fraud has scarce
" any limit. A still worse kind of steal
ing Is the adulcration Of food rs medi-
cine, and the shOddy cloths. Actual ex-
trnlnations an show that is almost impossi-
a. pure groceries. 1t is the same with
~, l1Gs +, aud I chemicals. Pure liquor can
III III DG eeought, clothing far 10 the eve,
,''r ao,i VI hist class price, falls to pieces in
a, HUntn' anu The dealers who thus swim
die their customers are thieves in f,ct e
not in name. IL '''' Il
TAKING UNDUE ADVANTAGE
of the ignorance or of the Necessities of
our fellow men is forbidden by this teTt
If you sell an article for more than its
value, the true value of which the buyer
cannot know if you unfairly depress OF
enhance the market value of an article
or if you take advantage of the necessi
ties OF your fellOwman and compel him
to pay an exhorbiiant price for what he
needs and must have, then you steal
Every man who prOsecutes a business
INJURIOUS TO SOCIETY,
violates Gods law, for he renders no
equivalent for the money which he re-
celVes- Tins includes gambling. The
gambler IS simply kid glove thief. Lii
quor selling a money making business.
Bit the mildew of theft, and bIood-stain
of murder is on the profit
So far I have talked to dishonest
tradesmeD, now want TO talk to
DISHONEST BUYERS.
Part of the guilt rests on you. BY ex-
pecting dishonesty in the tradesman, you
produce it. You go into a store and
price an article. If from your knowledge
OF IFS worth you know that the price is
too high, then it is right to offer a lower
price. But if you attempt to beat down
the price in order to get the article for
less than it is worth, then you are a
thief
A constant demand that he sells for a
low price is made upon the merchant,
no matter whether his prices are fair or
unfair. He knows he must take less than
he first asks in order to sell to some peO-
pie. The temptation is strong The man
yields. He marks his goods at a higher
price than their actual worth, then falls
at the bidding of his customer. He is dis
honest, but who made him so
See the dishonest tradesmen and Gus
toners, the goods are On the counter, the
price named, the dishonest man in front
of the counter begins to haggle about the
quality and the price. At length he Of
fers one half the price asked, but the dis
honest man behind the counter assures
him upon his honor" that 1t costs
much more than that" the custom er
raises his offer again and again. At last
his prize goes home chuckling. He i'm
agines he has cheated the dealer, bat the
dealer being one degree more cunning b as
cheated him. At every step of this mis-
cradle process both merchant and Gus
toner are SHINING. Each tries to swindle
the other. In Gods sight they are
thieves.
Where is the remedy? If the public
say to the merchant "Ask only one price
and we will cease TO beat down." the
merchant may reply to the public :"Cease
to beat down and will ask one price"
Trust begets honesty, and honesty be-
gets trust. There are honest merchants.
Give them not only your custom but
your confidence, and they will remain
honest.
have tried to tear off some masks, to
call things by their right names. Oh
that mems eyes were keen to see the sin
of stealing That their conscience were
quick to discern it beneath all its cover
ings, and loath it in all its disguise
God will one day weigh cur actions.
We should ourselves weigh them. 1t is
not, "What does that man say ?" or,
what has this man done ?" but, "W hat
is right ?' "What question for every
man IS, not "What is the practice of
earth ?' but, "What is the preparation
for Heaven?"