Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-11-19
aganamaksr,s.

seeism. "Honesty is the best
policy" has SO far impressed
itself on public belief as to be a
quotable maxim on Sunday;
but it hasn't taken such root
in the practical SIDE Of public
beliefas togovern the business
tactics even of those who are
quick to quote it.
Testthis heretical statement.
How does the maxim sound
taken out of its words? Imag-
inc a father telling his son just
graduating out Of Sunday
school into the grocery bust
ness, for instance "Now, my
son, ! am going to set you up
in business as soon as you
know enough about it and get
a little experience, The first
thing to do is to make up your
mind to be honest through and
through. The next is to learn
the business. Put your honesty
and knowledge into practice
together. Never mind the
grocer over the way. Never
mind what is customary. Never
mind anything but good gro
ceries and truth"
If fathers are accustomed to
take their sons out of school
into business with such foun-
dation as this, they believe in
the maxim. If they are not,
they don't. The businessman
is the frankest man in the
world, if you skip whathe says
and take what he does.
No; the practical business
man believes in the maxim
just about enough to quote it.
He quotes it possibly out of
the Intellectual glimpse he has
of its truth, possibly out of the
habit of paying a certain court
to abstract goodness, possibly
out of an amiable Difference
to Mrs. Grundy, possibly out
of a disposition to seem to be
honest when he hasn't the least
intention Of making any sacri-
flee in that direction
No; there isn'tmuch honesty
in business. There is a sort OF
substitute for it that passes
under the name-a fair sub
stitute, better than none; so
fair that you may think it
hardly polite to penetrate the
disguise.
Complain of a trick-ma-
chine-made shoes handmade"
for instance. The dealer will
say they are just as good as
handmade and nobody knows
the difference. Everybody
calls them handmade but
Wanamaker-he makes capt.
tai out Of not lying; but he lies
as much as the rest of us"
| Split-leather "calf" for an
other instance. The dealer
will say. Everybody calls it
calf why shouldn't l.? Be-
sides we don't always know
which is which ourselves now
adays." Leather-hash heels
and soles for another instance.
The shoeman will say EVERY
: body knows we can't get good
leather for nothing-ridicu-
lous ! Who expects it? Why
, the making ought to cost
more than Iget for this shoe"
! Cotton-and-linen 'linen" for
> anotherinstance. Themerchant
pleads guilty of nothing.
Everybody knows" says he
, "that linen costs money; but if
: . | tell people there's cotton in
it they II only go to somebody
else that'll lie with a straighter
face" So of Atwood in cloth
I ing, So of everything else in
> trade.
These examples betray the
accepted standard. Do as
others do. That is the stand
ard. Mercantile integrity
reaches no higher than that.
In social matters the CORE
spending standard is fear of
Mrs. Grundy. A very differ
ent thing from righteousness.
But we said 1t isn't a per-
sonal question Of morals.
| What is it? Expediencv
Honesty that comes of being
paid for it isn't morals; and.
morals needn't be talked
about
Merchants don't believe it
pays to be honest; and that is
) the why there is sand in sugar
and something wrong about
everything. That is the WHY
OF the eminent standing Of
LuPin in dress-stuffs, Alfred
Wright in perfumery, Winsor
& Newton in artists materials.
Rodgers and Wostenholm in
cutlery, Lowell in carpets,
Crane in writing-paper-we
scarcelylike to mention names,