The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-01-02
Honesty Pays.

It must be confessed that the difficult
ties Of doing good square business In
good, thorough, square style are be.
coming greater and harder than ever
combat. Honest and honorable COM
petition has given way largely to a
series OF petty shifts TO gain mean
advantage, and the business man has
frequently to encounter bold and un.
scrupulous lying among his rivals. II
!oung In business and needy, he must
solicit favors from men he despises,
and have transactions with others
whom otherwise he would scorn to as
sociate with; he viii find that II IL the
rule for men to do much for policy and
little for principle; that Il 10 q matter
Of difficulty to be his plain, honest self;
but II seems O. II he must got the sx-
change or into the business world with
O set Of actions, pretenses, and even ex-
preston that does not belong TO him,
but Is assumed for that particular purs
pose. and all too often the assumption
gradually absorbs other and bet
ter qualities Of mind and heart and be-
comes his real character. Is he dis
posed to sell pure and unadultersted
goods, he finds his rival taking away
bis trade by an inferior article offered
at lower price, but affirmed to be Its
equal In every particular; does he do
his work faithfully and use the best
materials, he finds himself underbid by
a skillful competitor, who cunningly
works In inferior material with care
less and cheap labor. and, worst of all,
the buyers will give the cheap bidder,
tt,s. M, attSU ~ HE -
workmanship ara suspected, a rcadicr
hearing.
Then what an immense advantage
the squarely dishonest man of to-day
possesses; he who does not mean 10
pay, who buys on credit without CAPT
tai. and contents himself with e mere
fractional profit, or no profit at all,
making failure, and being considered
rather honorable because he pays so
cents on the dollar to his creditors;
creditors who allow him to 60 on with
bis stock Of goods In direct competition
with the honorable men on the othe.
side Of the street. selling the seli-same
goods bought Of them Of the seli.sams
first price, which they expect the SOL
vent party to pay In full Tor. Does he
originate q popular article, q method
In business, or any invention that prom
Uses profit, let him be prepared for
imitators who boldly claim bis ideas as
their own. and others who will dub
worthless artiole with the title he has
originated, and thereby bring the name
into disrepute. 49,. .....
We know that in this keen race to be
rich, In the fierce struggle for, the ad-
vance In the fight for success, Is will be
said that every man who enters the
business field must expect the above to
be the rule and not the exception. and
the amount of praise given TO smart
rascals, and the knowledge that the
worlds first question IL not how O man
got his money, but has he got II. would
seem to indorse this conclusion. But
In spite Of this, men have proved that
II pays to combat all these obstacles,
which are principally efforts for q short
road to wealth, and stick to sterling.
sturdy, old-fashioned honesty In trade,
which tells in the long run. notwith-
standing il may take long run to
make IL tell. But there 10 O large class
that will pay for It and pay handsome
ly; hence, though confidence may be
Of slow growth. the labor Of rightly &C
curing Il proves It's value. 80 that, be-
sides the conscientious satisfaction en-
joyed in the possession, IL will be &C.
knowledged, even az business move,
that honesty Is the best policy
Boston Commercial Bulletin.