Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-04-14
RELIGION IN TRADE
TIE CHRISTIAN FAITH OF THE BUSINESS
MAN.
Heightened Characters Found in the Busy Marts-
Christianity Sedatiye Refuge and a
Hope for the Man Of Many Cares.

so lct our lips and lives express
The holy Gospel We profess.
He announced as his text Proverbs
xx. IA: at is naught, it is naught, saith
the buyer; but when he is gone his way,
then he boasteth." Following is his ser
mon in full:
Palaces are not such prisons aS the
world imagiues. If YOU think that the
only time kings and queens come forth
from the royal gates is in procession
and gorgcously attended, you are mis-
taken. lncognitO, by day or by night.
and clothed in citizens apparel, or the
dress of working woman they come
out aud see the world as il is. In no
other way could King solomon, the
author 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 a store of
ready-made clothing. in Jerusalem. and
stood near the counter and overheard u
conversation between Il buyer and
seller. The merchant put price on
coat. and the customer began To dicker
and said: Absurd. that coat is not
worth what YOU ask for il. Why, just
look at the coarSencSS of the fabric.
See that spot ON the collar, Besides
that. 10 does not tit. Twenty dollars
for that? Why. it isn't worth more
than ten. They have better article
than that. and for cheaper price. down
at Cloathem. Fitcm X Brothers. Be
sides that. don't want ii al any price.
Good morning" Hold says the mcr-
chant: don't 20 off in that way. |
want to sell You that coat. have some
payments TO make and | want the
money. Come now, how much will you
give Tor that coat?" ''Well." says the
customer, l will split the d Inference.
You asked twenty dollars, and | said
ten. Now. l will give you fifteen"
we'll" says the merchant, Its great
sacrifice. but take the coat at that
price" Then solomon saw the customer
with a ~o,l Jndcr his arm start and 20
o. and enter his own place of buSi-
ness. and solomon in disguise followed
him. He heard the customer as he nm
Elled Ithe coat say: Boys, l have
NiadjS great bargain. How much do
4Ou guess / gave for that coat?'
swell" says one, wishing to compli-
mcmtAis enterprise, you gave thirty
dollars for il. Another says, Il should
think YOU got il cheap if you gave
twenty-five dollars NO, says the
buyer in triumph, Il got it for fifteen
dollars. beat him down and pointed
out the imperfectiouS. until ! really
made him believe il was not worth
hardly anything. 1t takes me to make
a bargain. la, Ila, 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 wrltlng-deSk
and made for allageSa crayon sketch OF
YOU: 1T is naught. it is naught. Sayeth
the buyer. but when he is gone his way.
then he hOaSteth,
HIGII GRADES OF MEN.
There are no higher styles of men in
AN 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 a bond with piles OF col
lateralS Their reputation for integrity
is As well established aS that Of Pctrarch
residing in the family of Cardinal CO.
lonna. and when there was great dis
turbancc i'm the family the Cardinal
called all his people together ana put
them under oath to tell the truth, eN-
ccpt Petrarrh. for when he came TO
swear. the Cardinal put away his book
and said. AS To You. Pctrarch, your
word is sufficient" Never since the
world stood have there been 81 many
merchants whose transactions can Stand
the test of the Ten COMMITMENTS
Such bargain-makers are all the more
to be- 'honored because they have with
stood. year after year. temptations
which have flung many So Hat, ana
flung them So hard. they can never re-
cover themselves. While all positions
i'm life have powerful bcSctmentS To
evil. there are specific forms oi allure
mcnt which are peculiar 10 each Occu-
patton and profession, and 1t VIII DC
useful 10 speak of the peculiar tempta-
tionS of business men.
First. as i'm the scene of the text, bnSi-
ness men are often tempted To Sacrillce
plain truth. the seller by cNaggcraung
tbe value of goods. and the buyer by de-
preciating them. We cannot but ad-
mirc an expert salesman. See now ne
first induces the customer into mood
favorable To the proper consideration
of the value of the goods. lie shows
himself 10 be an honest and frank sales
man. How carefully the lights are ar
ranged tin they fall just right upon the
fabric, BEGINNING with goods oi me-
dium quality. he gradually advances To-
ward those of more thorough mahe' an"
of more attractive pattern. How ne
watches the moods and whimS oil MS
customer. With what perfect calmheSs
he takes the order, and bows the pur-
chaser from his presence. VINO goes
AWAY having made up his mind that ne
has bought the goods at price Whlch
will allow him living margin when ne
again sells them. The goods were
worth what the salesman said they
,verr and were sold at Il price when
will not make il necessary Tor the nouSe
To fail every ten years in order 10 I'm up
things.
FAISEuOOD II BUSINESS
While we admire and approve OF all
.ocuteness and tact in the sale oil goods
we must condemn any process by Which
a fabric or product is represented aS
posscssing value which 1t reaily uoeS
not have. Nothing but sheer ialSehoou
can represent as perfection DootS 'la'
rip. silks that speedily lose their lustre'
calicoes that Immediately wash out
stoves that crack under the first hot ilrc'
books insufliciently bound, carpets that
unravel. old furniture rejuvcnated with
puttv and glue and sold aS having been
recently manufactured. gold watches
made out Of brass, barrels OF fruit the
biggest apples on the top, wine adulter-
ated with Suychnine, hosiery poorly
woven. cloths of domestic manufacture
shining with foreign labels, imported
Goods represented aS rare and hard to
get. because foreign exchange Is 80 high
rolled out ON the counter with match
less display. Imported indeed but
from the factory in the next street 4
pattern already questionable and un-
Salable palmed off as new print upon
some country merchant who has come
10 town to make his first purchase oil
dry goods and going home with large
stock of goods warranted TO keep.
Again. business men are often tempt
cd IN make the habits and customs OF
other traders their law of rectltnde,
There are commercial uSageS which VIII
,,ot stond the test of the last day. Yet