The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-04-02

the hurricane deck; or that reckless
spectators may, that very hour, be plot
ting some monetary revolution, or the
burglars be prylng open his safe, or his
debtors fleeing the town, or his landlord |
raising the rent, or the fires kinding on
the block that contains all his estates.
Easy! Is it? God help the merchants.
1t is hard to have the palms of the hands
blistcrcd with outdoor work but moro |
dreadful process when, through mcrcau-
tile anXletlcs, the BRAN is consumed
In the next place we notice mcrcan-
| tile lies, those before the counter and
behind the counter. | will not attempt
to specify the different forms of CONNER
cial ialsehood. There arc merchants
who excuse themselves for deviation
from truthtulness because OF what they
call commercial custom. In other words
the multiplication and universally Of
a sin turns it into virtue. There have
been large fortunes gathered where there
was not one drop Of unrcquitcd toll in
the vine; not one spark Of bad temper
flashing from the bronze bracket not one
drop Of nccdle-woman's heart blood in
the crimson plush; while there arc other
great establishments in which there is
net one dOOrknOD, not one brick, not one
trlnkct, not one thread of lace, but has
upon it the mark Of dish0ner. What
wonder If, some day, hand Of toll that
had been wrung, and worn out, and
blistcrcd until the skin came of, should
be placed against the elegant Wallpaper,
leaving its mark of blood-iom fingers
and Il thumb; or that, some day, walk
ing the halls, there should be a voice
accosting the occupant saying, ''Six
cents tor making a Shirt" and flying in
tho room another voice should say,
''Twclvc cents for an army blanket :"
and the man should try to sleep atnight,
but ever and anon be aroused, until get
: ting ~ on one elbow, he should shrcl
, out, "WhO's there 20
One Sabbath night, in the vcStibulc of
my church after service, a woman fell
in commissions. The doctor said she
| didn't need medicine 50 mnch as some
thing TO cat. AS she began to- rovivc
in her dclirium, she said gaspinrlv
"Ei"ht cents! Eight cents! Eight cents!
! wish could get 1t done; am so tired
| wish | could get some sleep: but [
must get it dont! Eight cents! Eight
ccntS!' We found afterwards she was
making garments lor eight cents apiece,
and that she could make but three of
them in day! Three times eight are
twcnty-iour! Hear IT. men and women,
who have comfortable homes.
| some OF the worst villains of the city
are the employers Of these women
They beat them down to the last pen
ny, and try to cheat them out Of that:
| The woman must deposit Il dollar or
two before she gets the garment to
| work on. When the work is done it is
sharply inspected, the most insigni:i-
cant flaws picked out, and the wages
refused, and sometimes the dollar de- |
posted not given back. The Women's |
protective Union reports Il :. case |
where one of these poor souls |
finding Il place where she could |
get more wages, resolved to change |
employers, and went to get her
pay for work done. The employer said
81 hear you are going to leave me-"
~ es," She said, "and | am come to get
what you owe me-" lie made no an
Swcr. She said: Are you not going
TO pay me?" YES" he said, 81 will |
pay you;' and he kicked her down
stairs.
There are thousands of fortunes |
made in commercial spheres that are
throughout righteous. God will let |
h!s favor rest upon every scroll, every
pictured wall, every traceried window;
and the JOY that flashes from the lights,
and showers from the music, and |
showers from the music, and dances in |
the children'S quick feet, pattering
through the hall, will utter the con-
graduation Of men and the approval of
God.
y merchant can, to the last item, be
thoroughly honest. There is never
many will. day by day, hour by hour,
utter what they know to bc wrong.
You say you are selling at less than
cost. If so, then it is right to say It, |
But did that cost you less than you ask
! for it? If not, then you have talsihed. |
You say that that article cost you $50.
If SO, then all right. If it did not. then
you have falsiled. Suppose you are
customer. You are "beating down" the
goods. You say that that article for
which so is charged, is not worth more
than four. Is it worth no moro than
81? Then, all right. If it be worth
, more, and for the sake of getting it for
less than its value, you wilfully depre-
ciate 1T, you have falsilied. You may
call 1T sharp trade. The recording
angel writes it down on the pondcrous
tones of eternity -"Mr. SO and So,
merchant in Water street, or in Eighth
street, or in State street; or Mrs. So and
so, Keeping house on Beacon street, or
on Madison avenue, or RittenhouSe
square, or Brooklyn heights Of Brook
lyn hill, told one falschood." You may
consider it insignificant. because relat-
ing to an insignificant purchase. You
would despise the man who would
talSlIy in regard to some great matter,
IN which the city or the whole country
, was concerned; but this is only Il box
OF buttons, or a row Of pins, or a case
ol needles. BE not deceived. The ar
tlcle purchased may be SO small you
can put 1T III your vest pocket, but the
SIN was bigger than the Pyramids, and
the echo Of the diShOnor viii rcvrrbcr-
ate through all the mountains Of ctpr-
nifty.
You throw on your counter some
specimens of handkerchief. Your Gus.
toner asks, "lS that all silk? 10 cotton
IN it?' You answer, ''lt is all silk"
Was it all silk? If So all right. But
was it partly cotton? Then you have
1alsiiied. Moreover, you lost by the
falschood. The customer, though he |
may live at Lynn, or DoylestoWn, or