The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-12-24

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old merchants to bear me out in thes,
statements. If, when you were just
starting in life, in commercial life, yol
we're told that honesty was not mar
ketahle, that though you might sci
all the goods in the shop, you must
not sell your conscience, that while
you were to exercise all Industry anC
tact, you were not to sell your con
science--it you We're taught that gains
gotten by sin We're conbustible, and at
the moment OF ignition would be
blown on by the breath OF God unit
all the splendid estate would van
ish into white ashes scattered in the
whirlwind- then that instruction has
been to you a precaution and q help
ever since. There are hundreds OF
commercial establishments in our
great cities which are educating class
OF young men who will be the honor
of the land, and there are other es-
| Establishments which are educating
young men to be nothing but
sharpers. What chance is there for
q young man who was taught in an
establishment that fit is right to lie,
ii it is smart, and thai a French label
is all that is necessary to make a
thing French, and that you ought
always to be honest whenit pays, and
| that it is wrong to steal unless you do
it we'll? Suppose, now, young man
just starting in life enters a place OF
that kind where there are 10 young
men, all drilled in the infamous practi-
ces OF the establishment He is ready
to be taught. The young man has no
theory OF commercial ethics Where
is he to get his theory? He will get
his theory from his employers. One
day he pushes his wit little beyond
what the establishment demands OF
him, and .,.. ..,..
HE FLEECEs A CUSTOMER
until the clerk is on the verge OF being
seized by the law. What is done in
the establishment? He is not arraing-
ed. The head OF the establishment
says to him: "Now be careful; be care
full, young man, you might be caught;
but really that was splendidly done;
you will get along in the world, war
rant you.' Then that man goes up
until he becomes head clerk. He has
found there IS a 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 rob-
bed!' What is the matter? Nothing,
nothing, only the clerk who has been
practicing a good while on his GUS
toners is practicing a little on his en-
ployer. No new principle introduced
into that establishment. It is poor
rule that will not work both ways.
You must never steal unless you can
do it we'll. He did it we'll: I am not
talking an abstraction; I am talking
a terrible and crushing fact.
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 EFFECTS THE SALE.
The goods are wrapped up, and he
dismisses the customer with a cheerful
"good morning" and the country
merchant departs SO impressed with
the straight-forwardness of that
young man that he will come again
and again, every spring and every au-
tumn unless lnterferred with. The
young man has been now in that es-
tablishment five years. He unrolls
the goods on the counter. He says to
the customer, "now those are the best
goods we have in our establishments
they have better on the next shelf. He
says: awe are selling these goods less
than COST" they are making 20 per
cent. He says:
3"There is nothing like them. in all
the city," there are SO shops that
want to sell the same thing. Hesays:
''Now that is q durable article, it will
wash;'' yes, it will wash out. The sale
is made, the goods are wrapped 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: DWELL I got rid
OF those goods at last. - And the
head ofthe 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
undertake to say that the employer
is responsible for all the iniquities of
his clerks, and all the iniquities of
those who are clerks OF these clerks,
down to the 10th generation, if those
employers inculcated ubiquitous and
damning principles.
stand beforeyoung men this morn
ing who are under this pressure. 7
say, come out of it. ooh, say you, ~
have my widowed mother to support,
and if man loses a situation now he
don't get another one." l 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 do?'' and if she is worthy Of
you she will say, "Come out OF it nv
son-we will throw ourselves on Him
who promised to be the God OF the
| widow and tho fatherless; he will
take care of u.s." And Itell YOU no
young man ever permanently suffered
by such course OF conduct. InPhila-
delphia, in a drug shop, young man
said tn his onploxyor. ct ,,,a4 4