The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-12-17
Shares for Weak Men.
CONTINUED from First Page.

that honesty was not marketable, that
though you might sell al the goods IN
the shop you must not sell your con.
science, that while you were 10 exercise
al industry and tact you were not TO
sell yonr conscience-f you were taught
that gains gotten by sin were cofnbusti.
BILE. and at the moment of ignition
would be blown on by the breath Of
God until all the splendid estate would
vanish into white ashes scattered In the
whirlwind-then that instruction has
been TO you precaution ard a help
ever since.
There are hundreds of commercial
establishments in our great cities which
are educating class of young men
who viii be the honor of the land, and
there are other establishments which
are educating young men to be nothing
but sharpers. What chance Is there
for young man who was taught In an
establishment that it Is right to lie, if
1t is smart, and that French label is
all that Is necessary to make thing
French, and that you ought always
to be honest when it pays, and that it
is wrong TO steal unless you do it well I
Suppose, now, a young man just
starting in life enters place of that
kind where there are ten young men,
ali drilled in the infamous practices of
the establishment. He is ready TO be
taught. The young man has no theory
OF commercial ethics. Where is he to
get his theory2 He viii get the theory
from his employers.
One day he pushes his wit little be-
yond what the establishment demands
of him, and he feeces a customer until
the clerk is on the verge of being seized
by the law. What is done in the es-
tablishment2 He is not arraigned. The
head of the establishment says to him,
NOW be careful, be careful, young
man; you might be caught; but really
that was splendidly done; you will get
along in the world, warrant you. !"
Then that young man goes up until he
becomes head clerk. He has found
there is premium on iniquity.
One morning the employer comes to
the establishment. He goes into his
counting room and throws up his hands
and shouts, "Why the safe has been
robbedw What is the matteri Moth
ing, nothing; only the clerk who has
been practicing a good while on Gus
toners is practicing little on the en-
ployer. No new principle introduced
into that establishment. 1t is a poor
rule that will not work both WAYS.
You must never steal unless you can do
it well. He did it well. l am not talk
ing an abstraction; 1 am talking a ter
rible and a crushing fact.
TEMPTATIONS IN TRADE.
Now here is a young man. Look at
him today. Look at him FIVE years
from now, AFTER he has been under trial
In such an establishment. Here he
stands in the shop today, his cheeks
ruddy with the breath of the hills. He
unrolls the goods on the counter in
gentlemanly style. He commends them
to the purchaser. He points out all
the good points in the fabric. He eff
fects the sale. The goods are wrapped
up and he dismisses the customer with
n cheerful good morning." and the
country merchant departs so impressed
with the straightforwardness of that
young man that he will come again
and again, every spring and autumn,
unless interfered with.
The young man has been now in that
establishment five years. He unrolls
the goods on the counter He says to
the customer, Now those are the best
goods we have in our establishment :"
they have better on the next shelf. He
says, 1--WE are selling these goods less
than cost" they are making twenty per
cent. He says, "There is nothing like
them in all the city," there are fifty
shops that want to sell the same thing.
He says, ''Now, that is a durable
article, it will wash" yes, it will wash
out
The sale is made, the goods are wrap
ped up, the country merchant goes off
feeling that he has an Equivalent for his
money, and the sharp clerk goes into
the private room of the counting house.
and he says, 'Well, 1 got rid of those
goods at last; 1 really thought we never
would sell them; / told him we were
selling them less than cost, and he
thought he was getting good bargain;
got rid of them at last" And the head
Of the firm says, That's we'll done;
splendidly done!"
Meanwhile God had recorded eight
lies-four lies against the young man.
four lies against his employer, for un-
dertake to say that the employer is re-
sponsible for all the iniquities of his
clerks, and all the iniquities of those
who are clerks of these clerks, down to
the tenth generation, if those employ
ers inculcated iniquitous and damning
principles.
/ stand before young men this morn
ing who are under this pressure. say,
come out of it ''Ohr you say, 81
can't; l have my widowed mother to
support, and If q man loses situation
now he can't get another one" say.
come out of it. Go home to your
mother and say to her, Mother, I can't
stay in that shop and be upright; what
shall dor and if she is worthy of you
she will say, Come out of it, my son
we will just throw ourselves on him
who hath promised to be the God of
the widow and the fatherless; he viii
take care of u.s." And I tell you no
young man ever permanently suffered
by such course of conduct.
In Philadelphia in a drug sben a
young mAh SAID to his employer, II
want to please you, really, and 1 am
willing to sell medicines on SUNDAY:
but l can't sell this patent shoe black
ing on Sunday" We'll" said the head
man, you will have to do it or else
you win have to go away" The young
man said: 81 can't do it. 1 am willing
to sell medicines, but not shoe black, |
ing" well, then, gol Go now.n
The young man went away. The Lord |
looked after him Tho l,,,olul- |