Connecticut western news., 1899-07-27
BUYERS AND SELLERS
BUSINESS LIFE THE SUBJECT OF OR.
 TAlMAaE'S SERMON.
The Great Divine Pays a High Com p1fment to the Integrity of the Business Man of Today-Denounces Trickery In Trade.

p1fment to the Integrity of the
 Business Man of Today-Denounces
 Trickery In Trade.
 [Copyright, Louis Klopsch, 1s9o.l
 WAsHINGToN, July 23-Integrity and trickery in business life form the sub- ject of Dr. Talmages sermon today, and the contrast he establishes be- tween the two Is a striking one. The text Is Proverbs xx, 14: Ut is naught, 1t is naught, saith the buyer, but when he Is gone his way then he boasteth."
 Palaces are not such prisons as the world imagines. If you think that the only time kings and queens come forth from the royal gates Is in procession and gorgeously attended, you are mis- taken. Incognito by day or by night and clothed in citizens apparel or the dress of working woman, they come out and see the world as it Is. In no other way could King Solomon, the author of my text, have known ev- erything that was going on From my text 1 am sure he must, in disguise, some day have walked into a store of
  stood near the counter and heard a conversation between a buyer and a seller. The merchant put price on coat, and the customer began to dicker and said: Absurd! That coat is not worth what you ask for 1t. Why, just look at the coarseness of the fabric! See that spot on the collar! Besides that, it does not fit. Twenty dollars for that2 Why, 1t Is not worth more than $10. They have better article than that and for lower price down at Clothem, Fitem X Bros. Besides that, I don't want 1t at any price. Good morning." "Holdp says the mer- chant Do not go of in that way. I want to sell you that coat. l have some payments to make, and 1 want the money. Come, now, how much will you give for that coatY ''Well,' says the customer, T will split the diff ference. You asked $2O, and said $1O. Now, l will give you $15." ''Wen," says the merchant, "it is a great sacrifice, but take 1t at that price"
 Then the customer with roll under his arm started to go out and enter his own place of business, and Solo mon in disguise followed him. He heard the customer as he unrolled the coat say: Boys, I have made great bargain. How much do you guess l gave for that coatY Well" says one, wishing to compliment his enterprise, ''you gave $50 for It." Another says, 'I should think you got 1t cheap if you gave $25." "No," says the buyer in triumph, 'I got 1t for $15. I beat him down and pointeds out the imperfec tions until I really made him believe 1t was not worth hardly anything. 1t takes me to make bargain. Ha, hap Oh, man, you got the goods for less than they were worth by positive falsehood, and no wonder, when Solo mon went back to his palace and had put on his disguise, that he sat down at his writing desk and made for all ages a crayon sketch of you, Tt Is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer, but when he Is gone his way then he boasteth.'
 Businsss Integrity.
 | There are no higher styles of men in all the world than those now at the head of mercantile enterprises in the great cities of this continent. Their casual promise Is as good as a bond with piles of collaterals. Their reputa- ton for integrity is as we'll established as that of Petrarch residing in the family of Cardinal Colonna. It is re- lated that when there was great dis turbance in the family the cardinal called all his people together and put them under oath to tell the truth ex- cept Petrarch; when he came up to swear, the cardinal put away his book and said, "As for you, Petrarch, your word Is sufficient" Never since the world stood have there been so many merchants whose transactions can stand the test of the ten command ments. Such bargain makers are all the more to be honored, because they have withstood year after year temptations which have flung so many fiat and flung them so hard they can never, never recover themselves. While all positions in life have pow erful besetments to evil there are spe ciffc forns of allurement which are peculiar to each occupation and pro- fession, and 1t will be useful to speak of the peculiar temptations of business men.
 First, as in the scene of the text, business men are often tempted to sac rtfice plain truth, the seller by exag- gerating the value of goods and the buyer by deprecfating them. We can not but admire an expert salesman. See how he first induces the customer into a mood favorable to the proper consideration of the value of the goods. He shows himself to be an honest and frank salesman. How care fully the lights are arranged till they fall just right upon the fabric! Be- ginning with goods of medium quality, he gradually advances toward those of more thorough make and of more at tractive pattern. How he watches the moods and whims of his customer! With what perfect calmness he takes the order and bows the purchaser from his presence, who goes away, having made up his mind that he has bought the goods at a price which will allow him & living margin when he again sells them. The goods were worth what the salesman said they were and were sold at price which will not make 1t necessary for the house to fail every ten years in order to fix up things.
 Iniauftous stratagems.
 But with what burning indignation we think of tho iniquitous stratagems by which goods are sometimes dispos- ed of. A glance at the morning papers shows the arrival at one of our hotels of young merchant from one of the inland cities. He is a comparative stranger in the great city, and, of course, he must be shown around, and it will be the duty of some of our en- terprising houses to escort him. He is a large purchaser and has plenty of time and money, and 1t will pay to be very attentive The evening is spent at place of doubtful amusement.