Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-02-26
Given Up TO Fraud

and every form OF unrighteousness; but
our cities do not absorb all the abomipa-
tiOns. Our citizens have learned the i'm.
portance of not always trusting TO the size
and style Of apples in the top of farmers
barrel as an indication of what may be
found further down. Many of our people
are accustomed to watch to see how cor
recuy bushel of beets is measured; aud
there are not many honest milk cans De-
Ceptions do not all cluster around city
halls. When all cities sit down and weep
over their sins, all the surrounding coun.
ties ought to come in and weep with them.
There is often hostility on the part of
producers against traders, as though the
men who raised the corn were necessarily
more honorable than the grain dealer who
pOurs it into his mammoth bin. There
ought to be no such hostility. The occu-
patton Of one is as necessary as that of the
other. Yet producers often think it no
wrong to snatch away from the trader and
they say to the bargain maker: "You get
your money easy. Do they get it easy :?
Let those who in the quiet field and barn
get their living exchange places with those
who stand TO day amid the excitements of
commercial life and see if they find it so
very easy. While the farmer goes to sleep
with the assurance that his corn and barley
will be growing all the night, moment by
moment adding TO his revenue, the merch-
ant tries to go to sleep, conscious that that
moment his cargo may be broken on the
rocks or damaged by the wave that sweeps
clear across the hurricane deck, or that the
spectators may that very hour be plotting
some monetary revolution or the burglars
be prying open his safe or his debtors fee
ing the town, or his landlord raising his
rent, or the ssTTss kindling on the block that
con tains all his estate. Easy Is it? God
help the merchants It is hard to have the
palms of the bands blistered with outdoor
y6--k. but more dreadful process when.
through m ercanti!e anxieties, the brain is
consumed.
In the next place We hCtice
Mercantile Liars.
those before the counter and those behind
the counter. will not attempt to specify
the different forms of commercial false
hood. There are merchants who excuse
themselves for deviation from truthfulness
because of what they call commercial Gus
tom. in other words, the multiplication 1
and universally Of sin turns il into yir-
tue. There have been large fortunes gath
cred where there was not one drop of unre-
Quilted toll in the wine; not one spark OF
bed temper flashing from the bronze brack-
ct; not one drop of needle women's heart
blood in the crimson plush; while there are
other great establishments in which there
is not one door knob, not one brick, not one
trinket, not one thread OF lace but has upon
il the mark of dishonor. What wonder if,
someday, the hand of toll that had been
wrurg and worn out and blistered until the
skin came of, should be placed against the
elegant wall paper, leaving its mark of
bloOd-fOur fingers aad thumb-and the
man should try tosleep at night but ever
and anon be aroused until, getting up on
oae elbow, he should shrek out, who's
there" There are thousands Of fortunes
n ade in commercial spheres that are
throughout righteous. God will let his IA
vor rest upon every scroll. every pictured
wall, every traceried window, and the Joy
that flashes from the lights, and showers
from the music and dances in the chiidren's 3
quick feet, pattering through the hall. will
utter the congratulstion of men and the ap-
proval of God
"A merchant can to the last item be thor
ouehly honest. There is never any need of
falsehood. Yet how many will day by day,
hour By hour, uiter what they know TO
be wrong. You say that you are selling at
less than cost II so. then it is right to say
IL But did that thing cost you less than