The Brookhaven leader., 1890-04-24
BUYING AND SELLING.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage Talks on
the Trickeries of Trade.
The Desire for Wealth Often Overmasters
Mans Better Nature-The Result
MAY be Present Prosperity,
But tho End II Ruin.

livered in the Brooklyn Academy OF
Music, by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage from
the text:
1t is naught, It is naught, sayeth the buyer
but wheL he Is gone his way, then he boast.
eth-Prov. Xxx, a.
Palaces are not such prisons as the
world imagines. II you think that the
only time Kings and Queens come forth
from the royal gates is in proc ession
and gorgeously attended, you are mis-
taken. Incognito, by day or by night,
and clothed in citizens apparel, or the
dress of working woman, tcey come
out and see the world as it is. In no
other way could King Solomon, the au-
thor of my text, have known every
thing that was going on. From MY
text / am sure he must, in disguise,
some day have walked into store OF
ready-made clothing, in Jerusalem, and
stood near the counter and overheard q
conversation between a buyer and a
seller. The merchant put price on a
coat and the customer began to dicker
and said: absurd! that coat is not
worth what you ask for 1t. Why, just
look at the coarseness of the fabric! See
that spot on the collar! Besides that,
1t does not fit. Twenty dollars for that?
Why, it isn't worth more than ten.
They have a better article than that,
and for cheaper price, down at Cloath-
EN-, Fitem & Bros. Besides that, l
don't want it at any price. Good
morning" Hold" says the merchant;
''don't go off in that way. l want to
loA ho-
| ments to make and want the money.
Come now, how much will you give for
that coat?" "Well," says the customer,
~ will split the difference. You asked
twenty dollars, and said ten dollars.
Now. will give you fifteen dollars" "
WELL" says the merchant, "it's great
sacrifice, but take it at that price"
Then Solomon saw the customer with
a roll under his arm start and 60 out
and enter his own place of business,
and Solomon in disguise followed him.
He heard the customer as he unrolled
the coat say: Boys, 1 have made a
great bargain. How much do You guess
l gave for that coat?" "Well," says
one, wishing to compliment his enter
prise, "you gave thirty dollars tor it. "
Another says: II should think you got
it cheap if you gave twenty-five dol
lars" No" says the buyer in triumph,
81 got it for fifteen dollars. l beat him
down and pointed out the imperfections,
until really made him believe it was
not worth hardly any thing. 1t takes
me to make bargain. Ha! Hal" Oh.
man. you got the goods for less than
they were worth by positive falsehood;
and no wonder, when Solomon went
back to his palace and had put off his
disguise, that he sat down at his writ
ing desk and made for all ages crayon
sketch of you: ''It is naught, 1t is
n aught, sayeth the buyer, but when he
is gone his way, then he boasteth."
There are no higher styles of men in
all the world than those now at the head
of merchandise in Brooklyn and New
York and in the other great cities of
this continent. Their casual promise is
as good as bond with piles of eollater-
ais. Their reputation for integrity is
as we'll established as that of Petrarch
residing in the family of Cardinal Colon
ma, and when there was great disturb
ance in the family the Cardinal called
all his people together, and put them
under oath to tell the truth, except Pc
trarch, for when he came up to swear
the Cardinal put away his book and
said: "As to you, Petrarch, your word
is sufficient" Never since the world
stood have there been so many mer-
chants whose transactions can stand the
test of the ten commandments. Such
bargain-makers are all the more to be
honored because they have withstood,
year after year, temptations which have
flung many so fat, and flung them SO
hard they can never recover themselves.
While all positions in life have power
full besetments to evil there are specific
forms of allurement which are peculiar
to each occupation and profession. and it
will be useful to speak of the peculiar
temptations of business men.
First as in the scene of the text, busi-
ness men are often tempted to sacrifice
plain truth, the seller by exaggerating
the value of goods, and the buyer by
depreciating them. We can not but ad-
mire an expert salesman. See how he
first induces the customer into q mood
ldNordulO w eAO PioPOA SohSAooAesoAA Va
the value of the goods. He shows him
self to be an honest and frank salesman.
How carefully the lights are arranged
till they fall just right upon the fabric!
Beginning with goods of medium quail
ity, he gradually advances toward those
OF more thorough make and Of more at
tractive pattern How he watches the
moods and whims of his customer!
With what perfect calmness he takes
the order, and bows the purchaser from
his presence, who goes away having
made up his mind that he has bought
the goods at price which will allow
him living margin when he again
sells them. The goods are worth what
the salesman said they were, and wero
sold at a price which viii not make /:
necessary for the house to fail every ten
years in order to fix mp things.
But with what burning indignation
we think of the iniquitous stratagems
by which goods are sometimes disposed
of. A glance at the morning papers
shows the arrival at one Of our hotels oi
q young merchant from one OF the
inland cities. He is q comparative
stranger in the great city, and, oi
course, he must be shown around, and
| 1t will be the duty Of our enterprisine
houses to escort him. He is q large
purchaser and has plenty of time and
money, and it will pay to be very at
tentive. The evening is spent at {
| place OF doubtful amusement. TheI