Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-07-27

I" DUy , way. mere nave Deeu great
establishments In these cities. building
marble palaces, their owners dying
worth millions, and millions. and mil
lions, who made a vast amount of their
estate out of the blood, and muscle, and
nerve of half-paid clerks. Such men as
well. | will not mention any name.
But | mean men who have gathered up
vast estates at the expense of the peo-
| pie who were ground under their heel.
"Ch," say such merchants, "if you
don't like it here, then go and get a
| better place." AS much as to say:
1--we got you in my grip, and l mean
to hold YOU; you can't get any other
place.
Oh, what a contrast between those
men and Christian merchants who to-
day are sympathetic with their clerks
when they pay the salary, acting in
his way: This salary that | give you
is not all my interest in you. You are
an immortal man; you are an mmor-
tai woman / am interested y your
present and your everlasting welfare;
| want you to understand that, IL am
/ little higher UP in this store, l am
beside you in Christian sympathy" Go
back forty or fifty years to Arthur Tap
pens store in New York-a man whose
worst enemies never questioned his
honesty. Every morning, he brought
all the clerks, and the accountants, and
the weighers into a room for devotion.
They sang. They prayed They ex-
horted On Monday morning the clerks
were asked where they had attended
church on the previous day, and what
the sermons We're about. 1t must have
sounded strangely, that voice of praise
along the streets where the devotees
OF mammon were counting their gold
en- beads. You say, Arthur Tappen
failed. Yes. he was unfortunate like
great many good men; but | under
stand he met all his obligations be-
fore he left this world, and l know
that he died in the peace Of the Cos
pei, and that he is before the throne
Of God today-forever blessed. If that
be failing, I wish you might all fail.
After the last store has been closed.
after the last bank has gone down.
after the shuttle of the quick feet on
the Custom House steps has stopped.
after the long line of merchantmen
on the sea have taken sail of flame. af-
ter Washington, and New York. and
London, and Vienna have gone down
;nt ha
lon, and Tyre lie buried, after the great
fire-bells of the judgment day have
tolled at the burning of a worid-on
that day, all the affairs of banking
houses and stores will come I'D for in
spection. Oh, what an opening of ac-
count books, Side by side, the clerks
and the men who employed them.
Every invoice made out--all the labels
of goods all certificates Of stock-all
lists of prices-all private marks OF the
firm, now explained so everybody can
understand them. All the maps Of
cities that were never built, but in
which lots were sold. All bargains
All gougings. All snap judgments. All
false entries. All adulteration of Ii
quors with coppers and strychnine. All
mixing of teas, and sugars, and coffees.
and syrups, with cheaper material. All
entertainments of trust funds. All
swindles in coal, and iron, and oil, and
silver, and stocks. On that day when
the cities of this world are smoking
in the last conflagration. the trial will
go on; and down in an avalanche of
destruction will go those who wronged
man or woman, insulted God and de-
fed the judgment Oh, that will be a
great Gay for you, honest Christian
clerk. No getting up early; no retir-
ing late; no walking around with
weary limbs; but mansion in which
- live, and realm of light, and love.
and joy over which to hold everlasting
dominion Hoist him up from glory
to glory, and from song to song. and
from throne to throne; for while others
go down into the sea with their gold
like milestone hanging to their neck.
this one shall come up the heights of
amethyst and alabaster, holding in his
right hand the pearl of great price in
sparkling, glittering. flaming casket.