Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-14
NOT GAIN, BUT LOSS
nnonid be ReckOned the Money That
is Accumulated Through
DISHONEST BUSINESS METHODS.
SOul-Destroying Ways of Dealing Analysed
by DR.. Talmage.
WEALTH THAT EEDURES FOREVER

bhe ACduenI Vi MUSIC tnls morning Dr
Talmage, after reading appropriate passage
OF Scripture, gave out the hymn:
So let our lips and lives express
The holy Gospel we profess.
He announced as his text Proverbs 20: IA
ut is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer
but when he is gone his way, then he boast
eth. Following is his sermon in full:
Palaces are not such prisons as the world
imagines. If you think that the only time king,
and queens come forth from the royal gates il
in procession and gorgeously attended, you arr
mistaken. 1Dcognito, by day or by night, and
clothed in citizens apparel, or the dress of g
working woman, they come out and see the
world as it is. In no other way could King
Solomon, the author of my text have known
everything 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 a conversation between buyer and
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 Tor II.
Why, just look at the coarseness of the fabric!
See that spot on the collar! Besides that, it
does not fit. Twenty dollars for that? Why,
it isn't worth IRore than So They have bet
ter article than that, and for cheaper price,
down at Cloathem, Fitem & Brothers Besides
that. don't want it at any price. Good morn
ing" Hold" said the merchent: don't 60
OF 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
for that coat?' ''Well," " says the customer, Il
will split the difference. You asked $50, and
said $40. Now, will give you SIS" Well" :"
SAYS the merchant, its great sacrifice, but
take it at that price"
BoASTING OF A BARGAIN.
Then Solomon saw the customer with roll
Sta nd md
own place of business and Solomon in disguise
followed him. He heard the customer as he
unroled the coat say: Boys, / have made a
great bargain. How much do you guess gave
for that coat?" We'll" says one, wishing to
compliment his enterprise, 'you gave $50 for
it" Another says. II should think you got it
cheap if you gave SIS" NO" says the buyer
in triumph, II got it for SIS beat him down
and pointed out the imperfections, until 1
really made him believe it was not worth hardly
anything. 1t takes me to make a bargain. Ha!
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 palace
and had put of his disguise, that he sat down
at his writing desk and made for all ages
crayon sketch of you: at is naught, it is
naught, saith the puyer. 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 merchan-
disc in Brooklyn and New York and in the
other great cities of this continent Their
casual promise is good as a bond with piles
of collaterals. Their reputation for integrity
is as well established as that of Petrarch resid-
ing IN the family of Cardinal Colonna and
when there was great disturbance in the family
the Cardinal called all his people together, and
put them under oath to tell The truth, except
Petrarch, for when he came up to swear the
Cardinal put away his book and said, "As to
you, Betrarch, your word is sufficient" Never
since the world stood have there been so MANY
merchants whose transactions can stand the
test of the Ten Commandments. Such bar
Eain-makers are all the more to be honored be-
cause 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
powerful besetments TO evil there are specific
forms of allurement which are peculiar to each
occupation and profession, and il will be useful
to speak of the peculiar temptations of busi-
ness men.
WHY BUSINESS MEN FAIL.
First, as in the scene of the text business
men are often tempted to sacrifice plain truth
the seller by exaggeratng the value of goods,
and the buyer by depreciating them. We can
not but admire an expert salesman. See how
he first induces a customer into a MOOD favor
able to the proper consideration of the value of
the goods. He shows himself to be an honest
and frank salesman. How carefully are the
lights arranged till they fall just right upon
the fabric. Beginning with goods of medium
quality. he gradually advances toward those of
more thorough make, and of more attractive
pattern. How he watches the moods and
whims OF his customer. With what perfect
calmness he takes the order, and bows the pur-
chaser from his presence, who goes away hay-
ing made up his mind that he has bought the
goods at a price which will allow him living
margin when he again sells them. The goods
were worth what the salesman said they were
and were sold at price which will not make it
necessary for the house to fail every ten wears
in order to fix up things,
But with what burning Indignation we think
OF the inlquitous 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 some of our |
eDterprising houses to escort him, He is a |
large purchaser and has plenty of time and |
money, and it will pay to be very attentive. |
The evening is spent at a 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 mercantile es- |
drops IN. and usage and generosity |
suggest that they must drink. Business pros |
poets are talked over and the stranger is |
warned against certain dilapidated mercantile |
that are about to fail ana for |
such kindness and magnanimity of caution |
against the dishonesty of other business houses.
OF course it is expected they willard so they |
do-they take drink.
soUL-DEsrRoYING METHODS.
Other merchants lodging in adjoining rooms
find it hard to sleep for the clatter of decanters.
and the coarse carousal OF these hail fellows
well met" wakes louder, But they sit not all
night at the wine cup. They must see the
sights. They stagger forth with checks flushed |
and eyes b!oodshot. The outer gates of hell
oSen 10 let IN the victims. The wings of lost
souls MT among the lights, and the steps of the
carousers sound with the rumbling thunders of
the damned. Farewell to all the sanctities of
nome! Soulu mother, sister, father, slumber-
ing IN the inland home. in some vision of that |
night catch a glimpse of the ruin wronpht they
would rend out their hair by the roofs and hire
the tongue til the blood spurted, shrIeking out:
God save himr'
What, suppose you. will come upon sucb
business establishments? and there are hmm
1reds of them in the cities. They NAV boast of
fabulous sales. and they may have an unnraca
1ented run of buyers, and the name Of tbe
house may be terror to all rivals, and from
ms thrifty root there may spring uD branch |
houses IN other cities. and all the partners of
me o m may move into their mansions and
1rlve their full-blooded span, and the families
nay sweep the street with the most elegant
apparel that human art ever wove earthly
ever achieved. But a curse Is
somewhere for those men. and if in |
lOes not seize hold of the pillars and in one
Wild ruin bring down the temple of CONNER
ial glory, il will break up their peace and they
will fremble with sicknes>es and bloat with
and, pushed to the precpice of this
ife, they will try TO hold back, ana cry
or help, but no help will come; and they will
lutch their gold to take it along with them |
ut it will be snatched from their grasp and a
oice will sound through their soul, Not a
arthing, thou beggared spiritr' And the iudg. |
lent will come ana they will stand aghast be- |
ore il, and all the business inIquities OF a life
me will gather around them, saying "Do you |
emember this7" and, DO YOU remember
hat?' And clerks that they compelled to
ishonesty, and runners and draymen and |
ookkeepers who saw behind the scenes, will
ear testimony TO their nefarious deeds and
ome virtuous soul that once stood aghast at |
he splendOr ana power of these business men
Ill saw, "Alasi this is all that is left of that
reat firm that occupied a block with their |
ha hal I'd