The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-02-03
THE CULTURE OF BUSINESS MEN.

The attainment of as large a share as
may be practicable of intellectual culture"
says the United States Economist. is a
duty which every man of business owes to
his profession. 1t is to the want of it that
we must ascribe the prevalent low views
concerning the proper aims and ends of bust
ness pursuits Many, for example, have no
conception for the profession of a merchant
but as a method of accommodating property;
nor OF commerce, even In its widest scope,
but as a speculation upon chances The
philosopher processes to devote his powers
to the enlightenment of mankind; the states
man understands that the interests of a ma
ton are intrusted to his charge, the lawyer
knows that, besides the obtaining of his fee,
he has a solemn responsibility laid upon
him to see that the rights ef his client, who
might otherwise suffer wrong, are properly
indicated; the minister of the Gospel dares
not enter upon his profession, nor think of
his salery, without protesting a supreme
desire TO serve God, and to promote virtue
and piety. True, they have all in view the
obtaining of a livelihood-some of them
the amassing of wealth. They pursue this
object often with more than iustifable eager
ness. But they understand perfectly that,
as a matter of the simplest morality, it is to
mp oaOOI0AAlaC " luC u1SlCl OOlGOlo
of their calling. A mans reputation as a
lawyer does not depend upon the rap dity
with which he gets rich by his profession.
His getting rich may or may not depend
upon the ability with which he defends his
clients, but it is the latter only, not the for
mer, which Pounds the basis of his reputation.
"ln case of the man of business, how fire.
quently is all this simply reversed. Ask
him what is the object of his business. and
he will tell you, with an unconscious frank
ness almost ludicrous, that it is to make
money. That is his only motive. He is a
conscientious man, perhaps He seeks to
do everything honestly. He scorns to take
an undue advantage, or transgress any of
the rules of fair and honorable traffic. But
the getting of money is his grand object.
In proportion as he gets money. he regards
his business as successful, and in proportion
as he fails of that. all his operations seem a
failure. The constant inquiry is how he
shall increase what he denominates his
worth, until the passion, gaining strength by
indulgence, eats out the very life of the
soul and dries up all the fountains of noble
feeling and desire.
"But we cannot see what there is in the
true nature and ends of a business vocation
to justify SO d~ebasing a conception. We
admit that wealth stands in a closer
relation to this branch of human activity
than to som others, because capital is one
of the main instruments of commerce. But
aside from this, we cannot see how it is any
more a legitimate end here than IN any other
pursuit. Business is an important function
of society. The man who engages in it &C.
cepts a trust. 1t is just as sordid for him to
be thinking merely Of his gains, as for the
scholar and the teacher of science. And yet,
such are the notions that prevail, that, while
every other profession must talk of their
gains with bated breath, the man of business
puts them forth in the front ranks, and glori-
6es himself before the world on account of
them.
GAIL this results in no small degree, from
the limited state of intellectHHsSlff1re with