Sharp County record., 1891-04-09

to snatch away from the trader; ana
they say to the bargain-make; "1ou
get your money easy" Do they get
it easy? Let those who in the quiet
field and barn get their living eX-
change places with those who stand
to-day amid the excitements Of
commercial life, and see if they
find it SO very easy. While the
farmer goes to sleep with the assurance
that his corn and barley will be grow
ing all the night, moment by moment
adding to the revenue, the merchant
tries to go to sleep, conscious that that
moment his cargo may be broken on
the rocks, or damaged by the wave
that sweeps clear across the hurricane
deck; or that reckless spectators may,
that very hour, be plotting some none
tary revolution, or the burglars be pry-
ing open his safe, or his debtors fleeing
the town, or his landlord raising the
rent, or the fires kindling 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
blistered with outdoor work; but a
more dreadful process when, through
mercantile anxieties, the brain in con-
In the next place we notice mercan-
tile lies, those before the counter and
behind the counter. | will not attempt
to specify the different forms of com
mercial falsehood. There are merchants
who excuse themselves for deviation
from truthfulness because of what they
call commercial custom. In other
words, the multiplication and univer-
salty Of sin turns it into a virtue
There have been large fortunes gath
cred where there was not one drop OF
unrequited toll in the wine; not one
spark of bad temper flashing from the
bronze bracket; not one drop of needle
womans heart-blood in the crimson
plush; while there are other great
establishments in which there is
not one door-mat, not one
brick, not one trinlSet not one
thread of lace, but has upon it the mark
of dishonor. What wonder If, some
day, hand of toll that had been wrung,
and worn out, and blistered until the
skin came off, should be placed against
the elegant wallpaper, leaving its
mark of blood-four fingers and a
thumb; or that, some day, walking the
halls, there should be voice accosttng
the occupant, saying, "Six cents for
making Shirt" and, flying the room,
another voice should say, Twelve
cents for an army blanket;" and the
man should try to sleep at night but
ever and anon be aroused, until getting
up on one elbow, he should shrek out
"Who's there?"
One Sabbath night, in the vestibule
of my church after service, a woman,
fell in convulsions. The doctor
said she needed medicine MT so much
as something to eat. AS she began to
revive in her delirium, she said gasp
ingly: Eight cents" Eight cents! l
wish could get it done; l am so tired!
l wish l could get some sleep; but l
must get it done! Eight cents Eight
cents" We found afterward that she
was making garments for eight cents
apiece, and that she could make but
three of them day! Three times eight
are twenty-fourl 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 penny,
and try to cheat them out of that.
The woman must deposit a dollar or
two before she gets the garments to
work on. When the work is done it is
sharply inspected, the most insig-
nifcant flaws picked out and the wages
refused and sometimes the dollar de-
posted not given back The Woman's
Protective union reports a case where
one of these poor souls finding place
where she could get more wages, re-
solved to change employers, and went
TO get her pay for work done. The en-
ployer says; 81 hear you are going to
leave me?' eyes" she said, "and am
come to get what you owe me-" He
made no answer She said "Are you
not going to pay me?" "Yes," he said,
81 viii pay YOU" and he kicked her
, down the stairs.
, There are thousands Of fc crtunes made
, in commercial spheres that are through
out righteous. God will let His 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 dances in
, the children's quick feet pattering
e through the hail. will utter the con-
1 gratulations of men and the approval Of
+ God,
7 A merchant can, to the last item, be
5 thoroughly honest, There is neyer0ny
| need Of falsehood Yet howmany will,
t day by day, hour by hour, utter what
} they know TO be wrong, You say that
+ you are selling at less than cost, II so,
: then it is right to say it, But did that
; cost you less than what You ask for 1t?
/ If not, then you have falsihed. You
r say that that article cost you twenty.
l five dollars, Did It? II so, then all
, right, If it did not, then you have
falsihcd, Suppose you are pur-
| chaser, You are "bcating down"