The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-12-02


bronze bracket, and there is not one
drop Of needlewoman' hearts BLOOD on
the crimson plush; while there are
other fortunes about which it may be
said that on every door-knob and on
every figure of the carpet, and on every
wall there is the mark OF dishonor.
What if the hand wrung by toll and
bistered until the skin comes off
should be placed on the exquisite wall
paper, leaving its mark of blood-fouc
fingers and a thumb? or, if in the
night the man should be aroused from
his slumber again and again by his
own conscience, getting himself up Oh
elbow and crying out in the darkness,
''Who is there?"
There are large fortunes upon which.
Gods favor comes down, and it is iust
as honest and just rs Christian to be
attluent as it is to be poor. In many
house there is a blessing on every pic
tured wall and on every scroll, and on
every traceried window, and the joy
that flashes in the lights, and that
showers in the music, and that dances
in the quick feet of the children pat
| tering through the hall has in it the
favor of God and the approval of man.
And there are thousands and tens of
thousands of merchants who, from
the first day they sold a yard
of cloth, or tirllin OF butter. have
maintained their integrity. They ere
| born honest, and they will die honest.
| But you and | know that there are in
commercial life those who are guilty of
great dishonesties of speech. a mer-
chant says: Il am selling these goods
at less than cost" Is he getting for
these goods price inferior to that
which lie paid for them? Then he has
spoken the truth. Is he getting more?
Then he lies. A merchant says: Il
paid SIS for this article" Is that the
price he paid for it? All right. But
suppose he paid for it $23 insteat- of
SO? Then he lies.
But there are just as many false
hoods before the counter as there are
behind the counter. "A customer comes
in and asks: How much is this arti-
cle?' lit is S. Il can get that for
four some where else Can he get it
for four somewhere else, or did he say
that just for the purpose of getting it
cheap by depreciating the value of the
goods? If SO. he lied. There are just
as many falsehoods before the counter
as there are behind the counter.
A merchant unrolls upon the coun-
ter Il bale of handI1erchiefs. The Gus
toner says: Are these all silil?'
Yes No cotton in them?' NO cot
ton in them" Are those handkerchief
all silk? Then the merchant told the
truth. Is there any cotton in them:
Then he lied. NJ oreover, he defrauds
himself, for this customer coming in
will after awhile find out that he has
been defrauded, and the next time he
comes to town and goes shopping, he
will look up at that sign and say: No
l won't go there; that's the place where
| got those handkerchiefs." First, the
merchant insulted God, and, second
he picked his own pocket.
Who would take the responsibility o!
saying how many falsehoods were yes
terday told by hardware men, anc
clothiers, and lum bermen, and tob&c
conists, and jewellers, and importers
and shippers, and dealers in furniture
and dealers in coal, and deal erS in gro
ceries? Lies about buckles, about sad
dies, about harness, about shoes, abou
hats, about coats, about shovels, abou
tOngs, about forks, about chairs, abOu
sofas, about horses about lands, abou
} everything. | arraign commercial
fol- E
, our time.
: | pass on to speak of mechanical false
: hoods. Among the artisans are those
l upon whom we are dependent for the
t houses in which we live, the garment
: we wear the cars in which we ride
The vast ma jorit.y of them are, SO ia
as | know them, men who speak TIN
: truth, and they are upright, and man
l of them are foremost in great philan
< thropies and in churches; but that the
} all do not belong to that class ever
7 one knows. In times when there is
S great demand for labor, it is not S
easy for such men to keep their obliga
5 tons, because they may mlscalculat
5 in regard to the weather, or they ma
S not be able to get the help they antici
t pated in their enterprise. | am speak
e ing now of those who promise to do tina
f which they know they will not b
: able to do. They say they will com
J. on Monday; they do not come unit
: Wednesday. They say they will com
t on Wednesday; they do not come unit
+ Saturday. They say they will hav
S the job done in ten days; they do nc
e get it done before thirty. And whe
0 man becomes irritated and will nc
h stand it any longer, then they go an
Il work for him day or two and kee
= the job along; and then some else get
Il lrritated and outraged, and they &
: and work for that man and get hil
e pacitied, and then they go somewher
y else. | believe they call that "nursin
j? the job!'
y All, my friends. how much dishono
It such men would save their souls if the
J. would promise to do only that whic
n they know they can do. On" the
% say, Its of no Importance; everybod
It expects to be deceived and disaI
Or | nOiptp1 > 'Eh.ara iS Il rnina