The Russellville Democrat., 1890-04-24


 iy addressed to business men, was de- lsvered in the Brooklyn Academy of Music, by Rev T. Dewitt Talmage from she text:
 ft naught, t is naught. sayeth the buyer; but when be is gone his way, then be saast- eth-Prov. xx., iA
 Palaces are not such prisons as tho world imagines. If you think that tho only time Kings nd Queens come forth from the royal gates is in proc cession and gorgeously attended, you are mis- taken Incognito, by day or by night, and clothed in citizens apparel, or the dress of a working woman, trey come out and see the world as it is In no other way could King Solomon, the aus thor of nay text, have known every thing that was going on. From my text l 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 conversation between buyer and q seller. The merchant put price on coat and the customer began to dicker and said: ssAbsurdl that coat is not worth what you ask for it. Why, just look at the coarseness of the fabricl See that spot on the collar Besides that, it does not fit Twenty dollars for that2 Why, 1t isn't worth more than ten. ThsY have a better article than that, and Tor cheaper price, down at Cloath- en, Fitem & Bros. Besides that, don't want it at any price. Good morning" "Eiold, says the merchant; don't go of in that way. want to sell you that coat l have some pay ments to make and l want the money. Come now, how much will you give for that coat9" Well" says the customer, T will split the difference. You asked twenty dollars, and I said ten dollars. Now, 1 will give you fifteen dollars" Well" says the merchant tits great sacrifice, but take it at that price"
 Then Solomon saw the customer with roll under his arm start and go 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, I have made a great bargain. How much do you guess l gave for that coat?' "Well,n says one. wishing to compliment his enter prise, ''you gave thirty dollars for it. !" Another says: T should think you got it cheap if you gave twenty-five dol lars" Nc" says the buyer in triumph, ''I got it for fifteen dollars. I beat him down and pointed out the imperfections, until really made him believe it was not worth hardly any thing. It takes me to make a bargain. Hal 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, it is naught, 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 collater- als. Their reputation for integrity is as well established as that of Petrarch residing in the family of Cardinal Colon na, 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 Pe- trarch, for when he came up to swear the Cardinal put away his book and said: As to you, Petrarch, your word is snfflcientn Never since the world stood have there been so many mer- chants whose transactions can stand the test of the ten commandments. Such bargainmakers arc all the more to be honored because they have withstood, year after year, temptations which have flung many so flat and flung them so hard they can never recover themselves. While all positions in life have power ful 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 mood favorable to the proper consideration of 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 ia brici Beginning with goods of medium qual- ity, he gradually advances toward those ot more thorough make and of more att tractiye 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 were sold at price which will not make 1t necessary for the house to fail every ten years in order to fix up 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 of young merchant from one of the inland cities. He is a comparative stranger in the great city, and of course, he must be shown around, and it will be the duty of our enterprising houses to escort him. He is 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 Then they go back to the hotel Having just come to town, they must of course, drink A friend from the same mercan- tile establishment drops in. and usage and generosity suggests that they must drink. Business prospects are talked over, and the stranger is warned against certain dilapidated mercantile establishments that are about to fail and for such kindness and magnanimity of caution against the dis honesty of other business houses, of course it is expected they will-and so