The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-04
FULFILL YOUR PROMISES.
The Value Of a Good Reputation to Young
Business Men.

The Value OF q Good Reputation to Young
Business Men.
There is no lesson the young business
man needs to learn more thoroughly
than the value of good reputation and
GOOD credit. These can not be won and
kept by false pretenses of any kind, but
must be earned by strict observance OF
contracts, agreements and promises
The man whose word is "as good as his
bond" is the man who has inspired con-
fidence in himself by always doing that
which he has promised to do. He is
also. as rule, cautious about entering
into obligations, chary about making
promises that he may not be able to full
fill. If too prodigal in the latter re-
spect one can not hope to keep faith at
all times A man who is or intends to
be honest sometimes loses credit and
reputation simply because he is too
hopeful. Counting with too great conf
dence on uncertainties, he makes prom
Uses that he can not fulfill because OF
the failure of the event on which they
were predicted He voluntarily fixes
the date for the payment of debt, and
finds too late something has gone wrong,
so that he can not meet his obligation.
Such an accident may happen to any
man. Upon the way in which he meets
the unexpected trouble depends how his
reputation shall stand afterwards. If
he can fulfill his promise at any per-
sonal sacrifice he should do So; failing
that, he should endeavor to keep his
word by borrowing elsewhere, thus
gaining time for the final discharge of
his obligation. But if he can not do Ell
ther he should go as soon as possible to
his creditor and secure an extension by
frankly telling him the state of affairs,
thus renewing instead of break
ing his promise. The one essen
tial thing to do is to keep good
faith, or come as near to it as possible.
The worst possible course is to let time
run on until his creditor begins to press
him on an obligation long overdue. 1t
is too late then for explanations or renew
! ais. His credit is gone, his reputation is
gone His after promises are mistrusted,
though they may be grudgingly accept
ed. He may for years after thus shat
tering faith in himself pay promptly
and keep his word. but there will remain
the lingering feeling of distrust, born of
one failure to keep faith or to explain in
advance the reasons why it could not be
kept An engagement of any kind
should be held sacred, and thus good
reputation, which is of slow growth,
may be gradually built up, for he who
! keeps his word at all times becomes re-
! spected and is trusted The young man
can not learn too early in life his respon-
sibility to himself and to others. He is
to make his reputation by what he says
and does, and at the outset should have
high regard for truth, which carries
with it honesty, and insures a prompt
and complete fulfillment of all engage
ments. He should not allow a careless
habit in money matters to grow upon
him, but should pay all his bills prompt
/ ly. There is an implied promise to pay
at the end of the month or when the
bill may be presented, even though
there has been no engagement made to
do so in so many words, and it is good
practice to keep these implied, as we'll as
all other promises, with scrupulous care
Such a course will in time establish a
reputation whose value can not be meas
ured by money, besides developing USE
full habits and keeping one free from op-
pressive and grinding debts.-Bal timore
Srn