Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-04-19
REV. DR.. TALMAGH.
The Noted Brooklyn Divine's Sunday
Sermon.
subject, "putlcs and Responsibilities of
Business Men,"

taebuuci... but ,pltcn he is gone ms iroy, hcn
he ACKNOWLEDGMENT M. IA.
Palaces are not such prisons as the world
imagines. II YOU think that the only time
kings and queens coale forth from the royal
gates is in procession and gorgeouSly at
tended, you are mistaken. lnco@nleo, oy oay
O.. hy night, and clothed in citizens apparel
OF the dress of working woman. they come
out and see the world rs it is. In no other
way could King Solomon. the author OF my
text, have known everything that was goin;S
ON. From my text l AM sure lie must, III
disguise, Soule DAY have walked into store
of ready made clothing, i'll Jerusalem, ana
stood near the counter and overheard a con-
verSation between Il buyer and 4 seller. line
merchant put 81 prica on the coat. and tho
customer began to decker and said: 'Ah-
surd. that coat is noE worth what you ask
for it. Why. just look at the coarseaess OF
the fabric! See that spot on the collar! be-
sides that. itdoes not fit. Twenty dollars Tor
that: Why, it isn't worth more than ten.
They havea better article than that ana Tor
cheaper price, down 4: Cioathem, Fitem u
Brothers. Beside that. | don't want it at
any price. Good morning dod, says
the merchant; don't so OFT in that way. L
want to sell You that coat. have some pay
ments 10 make and want the money. Como
now, how much will YOU give for that coat
well, says the customer, u Will split the
difference You asked twenty dollars. and
said ten. Now, l will give You fifteen"
"Well." says tie merchant. its 4 great sac
rifice; but take it ut that price" Then Solo
mon saw the customer with q roll under his
arm start and go cut and enter his own place
of business; and Solomon, i'll disguise, fol-
: lowed him. He heard the customer as he
unrolled the coat say: Boys, have made
great bargain. How much do you guess
gave for that coat:" well" says one, wish
cr0y-
thirty dollars for it." Another says, L
should think you got it cheap if you gave
TWENTY-FIVE dollars" No says the buyer
in triumph; u got it for fifteen dollars.
beat him down ana pointed ont the impsrfcc-
tionsuntil really made him believe 1t was
not worth hardly anything. It takes me to
make q bargain. Fla. Ha" Oh, man, You
got the goods for less than they were worth
by positive falsehood; and no wonder, when
Solomon Went back to his place and hadpat
off his disguise that he sat down At his writ
ing desk and made for all ages q crayon
sketch of YOU: 1T is naught, it is naught,
saith the buyer: bat when he is gone his way,
then he boaSteth.
There are no higher styles of men in all
the world than those now ut the head OF
merchandise in Brooklyn and New York and
in the other great cities OF this continent;
Their casual promise is IS good rs Il bond
with piles of collaterals Their reputation
for integrity is as well eSta 5lished as that
OF Petrarch residing III the family OF
Cardinal C1.onra, and when there was great
disturbance in the fanny the cardinal called
all his people together and put them under
oath TO tell the truth. except Petrarch, for
when he came - swear the cardinal put
away his book and said: As TO you,
Petrarca. Your word is sufficient.
Never since the world stood have there
been 50 many merchants whose transactions
can stand tine test o; the Ten Command
mentS Such bargain makers are all the
more TO be honorad because they have With
stood wear after year temptations which i!ave
flung many so fiat and flung them SO hard
they can never recover themselves W hlie
all positions III life have powerful besetmentS
to evil there are specific forms OF aiiuremenS
which are peculiar to each occupation ana
profession and it will be useful 20 speak OF
the peculiar temptations OF business man.
First ss in the scene of the text business
men ara often tempted TO sacrifice plain
truth. the seller by eXagsgerating the value OF
goods, and the buyer by depreciating them.
We cannot but admire Gu expert salesman.
See how h first induces the customer into
mood favorable TO the proper consideration
Of the -aiue of the goods. Ee shows himself
10 be all honest and frank salesman. How
carefully the lights are arranged till they
fall Just right upon the fabric!
Beginning with goods o. medium quah'y,
he gradually advances toward those o. more
thorough make and of more attractive PAT
term How he watches the moods and whlmS
Of his customer! With WAT perfect calm
ness he takes the orGer-and bows the pur-
chaser from his presence, who goes away
having made up mis- mind that he has bought
the goods at price which will allow him
living margin when he again sells tnem. Inc
goods were worth what the salesman salo
cOlSl Of q 1Nrsi
will not make it necessary for the house 10
fail every ten years in order to tx Up things.
But with what burning indignation we
think OF the uioIitous strata genS hy wnlcl
goods are sometimes disposed o.. 4 glance
at the morning papers S;lowS the arrival aJ
one OF our hotels OF young merchant from
one of the inland cities. Heis e comparative
stranger il The giea- city. and OF course. no
must he shown around. andlt VIII be the duty
OF some of on. enlerprising houses co escort
him. He is 4 large purchaser and has plenty
of time and money, anditw pay TO be very
attentive The evening is spent ~ 4 placed
doubtful amusement. Then they go back TO
the hotel. Having iuS5 come TO town, they
must. of course, drink. 4 friend from the
same mercantile establishment drops IN, and
USAGE and generosity Suggest 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
magnanimitv OF caution against the dishon-
cstv ofother business houses. OF course, 1t Is
expected they will, and so they do. take
drink
Other merchants lodging in adjoining
rooms find it hard to sleep for the clattar OF
decantars, and the coarse carouSal OF these
'.hail fellows we'll met wakes louder. But
they sit not all night at the wine cup. They
must see tine sights. They sragger forth
with cheeks flushed and eyes boodshot. Inc
outer gates of he'll open to let in the victims
The wings of lost souls fit among the lights,
and the steps of the caroussrs sound with the
rumbling thunders of the damned Farewell
TO all the sanc.itias OF home. Could mother.
sister, father, slumoering in the inland
home, in some vision of that night catch q
glimpse of the ruin wrought they would
rend out their hair by the roots and
bite the tongue till the blood spurted,
shrieking out: God save him.
What suppose You, will come upon Such
business establishments? and there are hun
dreds of them in the cities They may boast
of fabulous sales, and they may have an I'M
precedeDted run OF buyers, and the name OF
the house may oe Il terror to all rivals anu
from this thrifty root there may spring I'D
branch houses in other cities, and all the part
ners of the firm may move into their man
sionS and drive their 1ull-blooded span, anu
the families may sweep the street with the
most elegant apparel that human art ever
wove or earthly magniicence ever achieved.
But curse is gathering somewhere for those
men, and if it does not seize hold OF the phi
lars and in one wild ruin bring down the tenn
Die of commercial glory it will break up then
peace. and they will tremble with sickness S n IS
and bloat with designations, and, pushed &c
the precipice of this life. they will try to holo
back and cry for help, but no help will come
and they win clutch their gold to take it a tSs
orasp and voice will sound through theil
soul, Not farthing, thou beggaredI spirit IT.,
And the Judgment will come and they a; vii
stand ashast before 1t, and all the business
iniouities of lifetime will gather aroun.
them, saving, do you remember this and a,
DO you remember that And c clerks ,!sn Tna
and draymen and bookkeepers who saw De
hind the scenes, will bear testimony to tnel
nefarious deeds, and some virtuous s3ul Ila.
once stood aghast at the splendor ana powc.
&c +boco business men will saw ALAS, this l: