The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-26

measured: and thero ara not many
honest niIkcanS
Decepsions do not all cluster round
city halls. When our cities sit down
and weep over their sins, all the sur
rounding countries ought 90 come in
and weep with them. There is often
hostility on the part of producers
against traders, as though the man
who raises the corn was necessarily
moro honorable than the grain dealer,
who pours it into his mammoth bin.
There ought To be no such hostility.
Yet producers often think it no wrong
TO snatch away from the trader, and
they say 10 the bargainer, ''You get
your money easy" Do they get il
easy2 Let those who in tho quiet field
and barn get thei- living exchange
places with those who stand today
amid the excitemcnts 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 growing all the night, moment
by moment adding to his revenue, the
merchant tries to go to sleep, conscious
that that moment his cargo may be
broken on the rocks, or damaged by
tho wave that sweeps clear across the
hurricane deck, or that reckless specu-
lators may that very hour be plotting
some monetary revolution, or the burg
lars be prying open his safe, or his
debtors fleeing the town, or his
landlord raising tho rent, or the fires
kindling on the block that contains
all his estates. Easyl Is it2 God help
the inerchantsl 1t is hard TO have
the palms of the hands blistered with
outdoor work, but q more dreadful
process when, through mercantile ankle
ties, the brain is consumed!
THE LIES OF THE TRADERS.
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 mer-
chants who excuse themselves for devi-
alton from truthfulness because of what
they call commercial custom. In other
words, the multiplication and univer-
salty of a sin turns 1t into a virtue.
There have been large fortunes gath
cred where there was not one drop of
unrequited toll in tho wine; not one
spark of bad temper flashing from the
bronze bracket; not one drop of needle
woman's heart blood in the crimson
plush; while there are other great es-
| Establishments in which there is not one
door knob, not one brick, not one
| trinket, not one thread of lace, but has
upon it the mark of dishonor. What
wonder If some day n hand of toll that
had been wrung. and worn out, and
| blistered until the skin came OFF, should
be placed against the elegant wal
paper, leaving its mark of blood-foui
fingers and thumb; or that some day,
walking the halls, there should be n
voice accosting the occupant. saying,
''Six cents for making a Shirt" and,
| flying the room, another voice should
say, 'Twelvc cents for an army blank
et;" 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 not SO much a:
something to eat. As she began to re.
vive in her deliriuln she said gasping
ly: Eight centsl eight cents! eight
cents. | wish | could get it done;
am so tired l wish could get some
sleep, but must get it donel Eight
cents! eight cents" We found after
ward that she was making garment
for eight cents apiece, and that sht
could make but three of them in a day
Three times eight are twentyfour
Hear it, men and women who have
comfortable homes!
Some of the worst villains of the cit.
are the employers of these women
They beat them down to the last penn,
and try to cheat them out of that. Tht
woman must deposit a dollar or TIVE
before she gets the garments to worl
on. When the work is done it is sharp
ly inspected, the most insignificant flaw
picked out and the wages refused, anC
sometimes the dollar deposit is no
given back. The Women's Protectiv,
union reports case where one of thes'
poor souls, finding a place where sh'
could get more wages, resolved to chang
employers, and went to get her pay TO
work done. The employer says: g
hear you are going to leave me.
"Yes," she said, ''and am come to sc
what you owe me" He made no an
swer. She said, Are you not going Il
pay me?" Yes" he said, Il viii pa,
you" and he kicked her down the stairs
There are thousands of fortunes mad
In commercial spheres that are through
out righteous. God will let his favo
rest upon every scroll, every pictures
wall, every traceried window; and tn
Joy that flashes from the lights, AM
showers from the music, and dances Il
the children's quick feet patterin
| kQfOug0 tltS Ill1it, VIII NSISi bliC Ccii
graduation Of Iaen and the approval @
God.
LIES ARE UEEECESSAI.E.
A merchant can, TO the last item, b
thoroughly honest. There is neve
any need of falsehood. Yet how man
will, day by day, hour by hour, utte
; what they know to be wrong. Yo
say that you are selling ct less tha
cost IL 50, then it Is right TO say
, But did that cost you less than WIN
; you ask for its If not, then you ha'
faIsified You say that that artic
{ cost you twenty-five dollars. Did ]
: If so, then ali right. If it did not, the
9 you have faislfied.
: Suppose you are purchaser. ht
are beating down" the goods "
say that that article for which five dc
, lars is charged il not worth more thu