Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-12-18

| OONl
The second class Of insidious temptations
that come upon our young men is led on
| by the dishonest employer. Every CON-
nercial establishment Is a school. In nins
cases out OF ten the principles OF the en-
oloyer becomes the principles OF the en-
oloyee. ask the older merchants to bear
ne out in these statements. II. when YOU
we're Just starting in life-in commercial life
you were told that honesty was not mari
ketable; that, though you might sell all
the goods in the shop, you must not sell
yo'r conscience; that, while you were 70 ex-
er Use all industry and tact. you were not to
sell your conscience: if you were taught tina ]
gains gotten by sin were combustible, AMI 81
the moment of ignition would be blown on
by the breath of God until all the splendid
state would vanish into white ashes SCAT
tered in the whirlwind, then that instructor
las been TO you a precaution nd a help eveA
since.
There are hundreds OF commercial estab-
lisbmeuts in our great cities which are edui
eating a class Of young men who will DO TIM
honor Of the land, and there are other estltii
lishrnents which are educating young men
10 be nothing but sharpers. What chanca IS
there for young man who was taught ny
am establishment that il Is right to lie il it is
necessary to make thing French, and thai
YOU ought always to be honest when it pays
and that it is wrong to steal unless you do Ia
well?
Suppose, now, q young man Just startinI
IN life enters place OF that kinl where
there are ten young men, all drilled ia the
infamous practices ofths establishment. H.
Is ready to be taught. The young man has
10 theory of commercial ethics. Where /
he to get his theory He will get the theory
from his employers. One day he pushes hi
wits little beyond what the establishment
demands OF him, and he hceces a custoner
until tho clerk is on the verge o. being
seized BY the law " hat is done in the es-
eabishment7 tie Is not arraigned. tn
head Of the establishment says to him, Nov,
be careful. be careful, young man. you
might be caught: but really that was speA-
1idly done; you will get along in the world
| warrant YOU Then that young man
goes up until no becomes head clerk H4
has found there is premium on inquity
One morning the employer comes to ths
establishment. He goes into his counting
room ami throws Up his hands and shouts
"Why, the safe has been robbedT What Il
the matter? Nothing. nothing; only the
clerk who has been practicing a good whill
on customers is practicing little on thu
employer. No new principe introduced into
that establishment. 1t Is O poor rule tina
will not work both ways. You must nevei
steal unless you can do it well He did ii
well. am not talking an abstraction; LAM
talking a terrible and crushing fact
Now here is young man. Look at HIM
to-day. Look at him five years from now,
after he has been under trial in such an
establishment. Here he stands in the shop
to-day, his cheeks ruddy With the breath OF
the hills. He unrolls the goods on the coun-
ter Ia gentiemanly style. He commendi
them to the purchaser. He points out all TIN
COOL points in the fabric He effects tha
sa e. The goods are wrapped up, anil he
dismisses the customer with a cheerful
good morning." and the country merchant
departs 30 impressed with the straight;or-
wardness OF the young man that he will
come again and again, every spring aa1
every autumn, unless interfered with.
The young man has been now in that es'
Enlistment five years. He unrolls the goo1S
on the counter. de says to the customer,
Now these are the best goods we have III
our establishment They have better on
these goods less than cost They are max
ing twenty per cent. He says, There Is
nothing like them in all the city" Therd
are fifty shops that want to sell the sam
thing He saws. "Now. that is durable
article: it will wash" Yes, it will wash out.
The sale is made, the goods are wrapped
I'D. the country merchant goes oE feeling
that he has an equivalent for his money, aud
the sharp clerk goes into the private room OF
the counting house and he says. We'll, l
rotrid Of those goods at last l really
thought we never would sell them. told
him we were selling them less than cost, aud
he thought he was getting goo bargain:
Got rid OF them at last" Aud the head OF
the firm says. That's we'll done. splendidly
doner' Meanwhile God had recorded eight
hes-four lies against the young man, four
lies against his employer, for | undertake to
say that the employer is responsible for all
the jnauities Of his clerks and all the inl'
ou.ties Of thosa VINO are clerks OF these
clerks down 10 the tenth generation, II those
employers inculcated iniquitous and damn
ing principles.
stand before young men this morning
who are under this pressure. say. come
out Of il. "OhT You say, 81 can't, nave
my widowed mother to support, and If q man
loses a situation now he can't get another
one" | saw. come out If il. Go home 10
Your mother AND say 70 her, Mother l
can't stav in that shop ard be upright; what
shall dcs and if she is worthy of you sue
will say. Come out OF il. my son-we VIII
lust throw ourselves on Him who hath prom
ised - be the God OF The widow ana tu9
fstheriess; He will take care OK US ANA
tell you 10 young man ever permanently
suffered by sUcl a course OF ccliuct.
In Philadelphia, in drug shop, young
man said to his employer. Il want to picass
Won really and | am willing to sell
medicines on Sunday but can't sell tiis
patent shoe backing on Sunday well
said the head man, you will have 10 do u,
or else you will have 70 go away The
Young man said. Il can't do it; an willing
20 sell NE licines, but not shoe blacSin-.
sWeU. then. 90. Go now" The young
tuan went away. The Lord looked after
him. The hundreds of Thousands OF dollars
he won in this world were the smallest part
OF his fortune God honorei him. BY the
course he took he saved his soul as well rs
his fortunes in the future.
4 man said TO his employer, al can't wash
the wagon on Sunday morning; | am Wiling
10 wash it on Saturday afternoon, but, sir,
yot, will Dlease excuse me, | can't wash the
wagon on Sunday morning" His employer
said. you must wash it; my carriage comes
in every Saturday night, and you nave goV
TO wash 1t on Sunday morning. u can
do it," the man said. They parte1. The
Lord looked after him-grandly looked after
him He is worth to-day a hundred fold
more than his employer ever was or ever
will be, and he saved his soul. Young men,
it is safe to do right. There are young men
in this house to-day who under this storm
of temptation, are striking deeper and deep
Ell Their roots and spreading out broader
their branches. They are Daniels in Baby
lon, they are Josephs in the Egyptian court,
they are Paus amid the wild beasts OF
EphesuS. preach to encourage them. Lay
hold of God and be faithful.
There is mistake we make about young
men. We put them in two classes; the one
class is moral, the other dissolute. The
moral are safe The dissolute cannot be re-
claimed. deny both propositions. The
moral are not safe unless they have laid hold
of God, and the dissolute may be reciaime1.
l suppose there are self righteous men IN
this house who feel no need Of God, and viii
not seek alter Him, and they will go out IN
the world. and they will be tempted. and they
will be flung down by misfortune,
and they win go down, down,
down, until some night you will see them
going home hooting, rsving, shouting bias
phemy-goins home TO their mother. going
home TO their sister, going home TO the
young companion TO whom, only little
while ago, in the presencs OF brilliant
assemblage, flashing lights and orange
blossoms and censers swinging IN the air,
they promised fidelity and purity, and
blindness ,,arpafual As that man reaches