Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-04-12
TRADE MORALS.

d
the bottom of Mr.. Carlyle's objurgative
and often comical denunciatioas of the
tradesman's spirit that pervades modern
society. So also there is much method
in Mr.. John Ruskin's madness on the
same subjects. The Englishman's hell,
says Carlyle, is "the fear oil not sue
ceeding," but, after all, success is some
thing that men work for, and work
means a good deal in this idle world,
full of pretenders to work. Trade is
not ignoble in itself, but only in the
idolatrous prostration of the men who
worship it, not for itself, but for the lu-
ere and the consequence il bestows.
Trade has been leading impulse to ad-
venture and the stirring .ot the blood
that attends upon daring deeds. II has
been q great educator, a great human
izer, a great impulse to civilization, and
art has been glorifed chiefly through
its influences. 1t has done much to free
the spirit aud has helped the cause Of
individual liberty wheresoeverits course
has been turned.
It has not been less active as a force
in morals. Mr.. L.cky has pointed out
that the great virtue Of veracity has
been begetten Of the necessities Of bus
mess, and the general esteem for COM
mercial honor has grown up out Of the
credit system, just as the general es-
TEEN for personal honor grew up out Of
the feadal system. The ancient law
demonstrates very finely, according to
Sir Henry Maine. how in Roman trade
the mere face Of a system of regular YER
bal unwritten contracts between man
aud man, IN the ordinary course of az
fairs, developed the sense Of veracity
in increasing fullness and purity till il
was set free from all forms and ceremo-
nies, the merely legal securities, and
stood in naked honor, the word as good
as the bond" - -.- 90. -.
Bot there is smother side to trade mo-
rality, sad, IL must be confessed, one
which isnot near so bright and encour-
aging.s The virtues not necessary to
the pcDsnpt and effective conduct of bus
iness Transactions have not grown up
alongside of the commercial virtues-ai
any rate not to the same height. Some
moralists have even suspected that these
virtues have dwindled and grown more
feeble Of grasp in the uncongcnial at
rnosphere, rs If the business man, not
less selfish, avenged himself for his en-
forced sobriety of conduct in the line Of
Business by spurning qualities which,
good in themselves, could not be coined
into dollars and cents or. exhib,ted upon
shop shelves.
Where confidence and uprightness are
not enforced by the conveniences Of
trade, the plain wayfaring man NAV
take warning that he is going to be
cheated IN every way that unprincipled
human ingenuity can contiise. and these
ways are many. Story, in his Equity
Jurisprudence" has wisely noted the
fact that fraud cannot be 80 provided
for by explicit legislation as TO coser
all its forms mans ingenuity AWAY.
outrunuing the slow boot Of the law. :"
A well known trade journal IN New
York keeps al the head Of its columns,
by way Of standing motto: TEST.
weigh and measure all that zen buy"
'-an injunction, in other words. TO trust
nobody With whoa you dead. vigi-
lance is the price Of square measure.
and Ahe light weight, The short yard
stick. the adulterased goods are the
standing grievance in almost every
transaction Of our beaesilled domestic
economy.
The. barrel of -four seldom or never
escapes the impression Of .'ths miller 5