Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-04-25

=
lars and il. one wild ruin bring down the TEN
ple Of commercial glory, it will break up tneT
peace and thev will tremble with SICKNESS
and bloat with designations, and pushed 20
the preciDice OF this life, they VIII try 10 hold
hacE and CRY for help but no help Will come;
and they will clutch their gold TO take ii along
with them. but il will be snatched from their
GRASP and a voice will sound through their
soul. Not farthing, thou beggared spirit
And the Judgment VIII come ana they VIII
stand aghast before It and all the business
iniouities of a lifetime will gather around
them Swing. DO YOU remem Der this" and,
DO YOU remember that And clerks tcat
they compelled 10 dishonesty, and runners
and draymen and bookkeepers who saw De
hind the scenes will bear testimony 70 theI
nefarious deeds, and some virtuous soul that
once stood aghast at the splendor and power
of these business men will say, Alas. this Is
all that is left of that great firm that Occu-
pied a block with their merchandise and
Overshadowed the city with their influence,
and made righteousness and truth and purity
fall under the CALLING fire Of avarice and
crime"
While we admire and approve of all acute
ness and tact in the sale Of goods, we must
condemn any process by which fabric or
product is represented as possessing a value
which it really does rot have. Nothing but
sheer falsehOOd can represent perfection
boots that rip, silks that speedily lose their
lustre, calicOes that Immediately wash out,
stoves that crack under the first hot fire,
books nsufficiently bound, carpets that I'M
ravel, old furniture rejuvenatet with putty
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 adulterated with strychnine
hosiery poorly woven, cloths of domestic
manufacture shining with foreign labels i'm
ported goods represented as rare ind hard to
Crat
rolled out on the counter with matchleSs dis
play. Imported, indeed! but from the fac
tory in the next street. A pattern already
questionable and unstable palaed off a
new print upon some country merchant who
has come to town to make his first purchase
of dry goods and going home with a large
stock of goods warranted to keep.
Again business men are often tempted to
make the habits and customs of other trad
ers their law of rectitude. There are COM
mercial usages which will not stand the test
of the last day Yet men in business are apt
to do as their neighbors do. If the majority
of the traders in any locality are lax in prln-
ciple, the commercial code i'll that commu-
nifty will be spurious and dishonest. 1t is a
hard thing to stand close by the law of right
when your next door neighbor by his loose
ness of dealing is enabled to sell goods at
cheaper rate and decOy your customers. or
course you who promptly meet all your
business engagements, paying when you
promise to pay, will find it hard to compete
with that merchant who is hopelessly in debt
to the importer for the goods purchased, and
to the landlord whose store he occupies, and
to the clerks who serve him.
There are hundred practices prevalent in
the world of traffic which ought never to be
come the rule for honest men. Their wrong
does not make your right. Sin never be-
comes virtue by being multiplied and admit
ed at brokers' board, or merchants ex-
of CpTIa q fox
Kings in paSsen ger trunks, because others
AXE usury when men are in tight places, be-
cause others deal in fancy stocks, because
'thers palm off worthless Endorsements, be-
,auso others do nothing but blow bubbles.
10 not therefore, be overcome Of tenn ptatiOn.
Hollow pretension and fictitious credit and
gambling may awhile prosper,
)ut the day of reckoning cOmeth. and in adj
litOn to the horror and condemnation of
outraged communities the curse of God will
Ome, blow after blow. Gods will forever
nd forever is the only standard Of right and
wrong, and not commercial ethics.
Young business man, avoid the first bust
less dishOnOr, and you will avoid all the rest.
he Captain of a vessel was walking near the
Mouth of river when the tide was low, and
here was a long stout anchor chain, into one
f the great links of which his foot slipped,
nd it began to swell and he could not with
raw it. The tide began to rise. The chain
ould not be loosened nor filed off in time,
nd a surgeon was called to amputate the
mb, but before the work could be done the
ide rolled over the victim and his life was
one.
And have to tell you young man, that
lIst one wrong into which you slip may be
ink of long chain of circumstances from
which you cannot be extricated by any in
enuity of your own or any help from others,
nd the tides will roll over you as they have
yer many. When Pompey, the warrior,
tod fN Toly NOS m Of ri md haU
would not open the gates, he persuaded them
o admit a sick soldier. But the sick soldier
fter a while got we'll and strong, and he
brew open the gates and let the devaStat-
ng army come in. One wrong admitted
nto the soul may gain il strength until
fter awhile it filings open all the avenues Of |
he immoral nature, and the surrender is
Omplete.
Again, business men are sometimes
empted to throw off personal responsibility
DOn the mOneyed institution to which they
,elOng. Directors in banks aid railroad and |
insurance companies sometimes sElirk per-
onal sponSibiity underneath the action OF
he corporation. And how often, when some
Danking house or financial institution ex-
'lodeS through fraud resp ectsble men III the
BOARD of directors say: why, [ thought all |
vas going on in an honest way. and am ut
erly cOntOunaci with this miSdemeanOr |
The banks, and The fire and life and marine
companies. and the railroad COM |
'SnleS, will not stand up for judgment in the |
asst day, but those who in them acted right |
ousIy will receive, each for himself, a re-
yard and those who acted the part of ne
elect or trickery will, each for himself re-
eive a condemnation
Unlawful dividends are nc: clean before |
rod because there are those associated with |
-ou who grab just as big pile as you do |
lie who cOuntenanceS the dishonesty Of the /
irm, or of the corporation, or OF the associa- |
ion, takes upon himself all of the moral |
la ollttles. If the financial institution steals,
lie steals. II they go into wild speculations,
lie himself is a gambler If they needlessly /
nhor- Ill ,lc