The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-08-31
BENTON. LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 81 1899

ger IN the great city, and OF course must
be shown around, and it will be the duty
OF some of our enterprising houses to
escort him. He is a large purchaser and
has plenty of time and money, and it
will pay to be very attentive. The even
ing is spent at place os doubtful
amusement. Then they go back to the
hotel. Having just come to town, they
must, of course, drink.
A friend from the same mercantile es-
tablishment drops in, and usage and
generosity suggest that they must
drink. Business prospects are talked
over, and the stranger is warned against
certain dilapidated mercantile estab-
lishments that are about to fail, and for
such kindness and magnanimity of eau
tion against the dishonesty of other
business houses, of course it is expected
they willard SO they do-take drink.
Other merchants lodging in adjoining
rooms find it hard to sleep for the clat-
ter of decanters, and the coarse carousal
of these ''hail fellows well met" wakes
louder. But they sit not all night at the
wine cup. They must see the sights.
They stagger forth with cheeks flushed
and eyes bloodshot. The outer gates of
hell open to let in the victims. The
wings of lost souls fit among the lights.
and the steps of the carousers sound
with the rumbling thunders of the lost.
Farewell to all the sanctities of home!
Could mother, sister, father, slumber-
ing in the inland home, in some vision
OF that night catch a glimpse of the
ruin wrought they would rend out their
hair by the roots and bite the tongue
till the blood spurted, shrieking out:
"God save him.
What. suppose you, will come upon
such business establishments? and
there are hundreds of them in the
cities. They may boast of fabulous
sales, and they may have an unprece-
dented run of buyers, and the name of
house may be a terror to all rivals, and
from this thrifty root there may spring
up branch houses in other cities, and
all the partners of the firm may move
into their mansions and drive their full
sweep the street with the most elegant
apparel that human heart ever wove
or earthly magnificence ever achieved.
But curse is gathering surely for
those men, and if it does not seize hold
of the pillars and in one wild ruin bring
down the temple of commercial glory it
will break up their peace, and they will
tremble with sickness and bloat with
dissipations, and, pushed to the preci-
pice of this life, they will try to hold
back and cry for help, but no help will
come, and they will clutch their gold
to take it along with them, but it will
be snatched from their grasp and a
voice will sound through their soul:
'Not farthing, thou beggarded spir-
it," And the judgment will come, and
they will stand aghast before it, and all
the business iniquities of lifetime will
gather around them, saying: "Do you
remember that?" And clerks that they
compelled to dishonesty and runners
and draymen and bookkeepers who
saw behind the scenes will bear testi-
| mony to their nefarious deeds, and
| some virtuous soul that once stood
aghast at the splendor and power OF
these business men will say: "Alas,
this is all that is left of that great firm
that occupied a block with their mer-
chandise and overshadowed the city
with their influence and made right
eousness and truth and purity fall un-
der the CALLING fire of avarice and
crime"
| Again, business men are often tempt.
/ ed to make the habits and customs oil
/ other traders their law of rectitude
There are commercial usages which
will not stand the test of the last day
Yet men in business are apt to do as
their neighbors do. If the majority oi
the traders in any locality are lax in
principle, the commercial code of that
community will be spurious and dis
honest. 1t is hard thing to stand close
by the law of right when your next door
neighbor, by his looseness of dealing, i.
enabled to sell goods at a cheaper rate
and decoy your customers. Of course
you who promptly meet all your bust
ness engagements, paying when yo,
promise to pay, will find it hard to com
pete with that merchant who is hope
lessly in debt to the importer for tn,
goods and to the landlord whose stor,
he occupies and to the clerks who serv,
him. There are hundred practices
prevalent in the world of traffic whicl
ought never to become the rule for hon
est men. Their wrong does not maxi
your right. Sin never becomes virtu,
by being multiplied and admitted a
brokers' board or merchants exchange
Because others smuggle "A few thing
in passenger trunks, because other
take usury when men are in tigh
places, because others deal in fame,
stocks, because others palm off worth
less Endorsements, because others d,
nothing but blow bubbles, do not, there
fore, be overcome of temptation. Hol
low pretentions and fictitious credi
and commercial gambling may awhil
prosper.