St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-08-26
TElCEERY IN TRADE.
Rev. Dr.. Talmage Contrasts It with
Fair Dealing.
Condemn Business Processes by
Which Values Arc slisreprcsent-
ed-Many Merchant Mod
els of IstegrIty.
Copyright. Louis Klopsch, 1891
WASHING fon

mon to-day, and the contrast he e!
tablishes between the two is strikin
one. The text is Proverbs 20:14: ut
naught. it is naught, said the buyer, bu
when he is gone his way, then n
boasteth."
Palaces are not such prisons as tn
world imagincs. If you think that tn
only times kings and queens come FORT
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 tn
dress of working woman, they COM
| out and see the world as it is. In NJ
| other way could King Solomon, TIT
author of my text, have known every
thing that was going on. From my tex
am sure he must in disguise some day
have walked into store of ready-mad'
clothing in Jerusalem and stood neal
the counter and heard q conversation
between buyer and seller. The mer
chant put a price on coat, and thu
customer began to dicker and said
absurd! That coat is not worth wha'
you ask for it. Why, just look at the
coarseness of the fabric! See that spo,
on the collar! Besides that, it does not
fit. Twenty dollars for that? Why
it is not worth more than ten dollars
They have a better article than tina,
and for lower price down at Clothcm
Fitem e. Bros. Besides that, don't
want it at any price. Good morning
"Hold,' says the merchant; do not &c
off in that way. want to sell you that
coat. / have some payments to make
and want the money. Come, now, how
much will you give for that coat?'
"Well." says the customer, Il will split
the difference. You asked 500 and
said $40. Now, will give you $15.'
"We.l," said the merchant, ut is great
sacrifice. but take it at that price,"
- the customer with roll under
H., = al started to go out and enter
his own place of business, and Solomon
in disguise followed him. He heard
the customer as he unrolled the coat
say: "Boys. 1 have made great bar
gain. How much do you guess I gave
for that coat?" "Well," says one, wish
ing to compliment his enterprise, you
gave $50 for it." Another says. Il
should think you got it cheap If you
gave s24. NO, says the buyer, in tri-
umph; II got it for SIS. 1 beat him
down and pointed cut the imperfections
until really made him believe it was
not worth hardly anything. It takes
me to make a bargain. Ha, hal" O
man, you got the goods for less than
they were worth by positive falsehood,
and no wonder, when Solomon went
back to his palace and had put off his
disguise. that he sat down at his writ
ing desk and made for all ages crayon
sketch of you. 1T is nanght. il is
naught. saith the buyer, but when he
is gone his way. then he boasteth."
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 good
reputation for integrity is as well cs-
auOAscAsSA 40 NuAS VA L GU ICSAu1uk
in the family of Colonna. 1t is related
that when there was great disturbance
in the family the cardinal called all his
people together and put them under
oath to tell the truth. except Petrarch.
When he came up to swear the car
dinal put away his book and said: "As
for you, Petrarch, your word is sufii-
Gent" Never since the world stood
have there been so many merchants
whose transactions can stand the test
Of the Ten Commandments. Such bar
gain makers are all the more to be
honored because they have withstood
year after year temptations which have
dung SO many fiat and flung them SO
hard they can never, never recover
themselves. While all positions in life
have powerful besetments to evil, there |
ire specific forms of allurement which |
ire peculiar to each occupation and
and it will be useful to speak |
II the peculiar temptations of business
men.
First, as in the scene of the text, bust
less men are often tempted to sacrifice
'lain truth, the seller by exaggerating
he value of the goods and the buyer by
them. We cannot but adj
nire an expert salesman. See how he
irst induces the customer into mood
avorable TO the proper consideration
Il the value of the goods. He shows
himself to be an honest and frank sales
IAN. How carefully the lights are ar
anged till they fall just right upon
he fabric! Beginning with goods of
Medium quality. he gradually advances
oward those of more thorough make
nd of more attractive pattern. How he
PATCHES the moods and whims of his
ustomer! With what perfect calm
ess he takes the order and bows the
urchaser from his presence. who goes
way having made up his mind that he
as bought the goods at a price which
ill allow him to make a living margin
hen he again sells them! The goods
ere worth what the salesman said
hey were and were sold at a price ,
'hich will not make it necessary for
ne house to fail every ten years in or I
FL. to fix up things. Z
But with what burning indignation
e think of the UBIQUITOUS stratagems ,
? which goods are sometimes disposed q
!! A glance at the morning papers ]
lows the arrival at one of our hotels 4
= young merchant from one of the
land cities. He is a comparative stran- d
II in the great city, and of course must 4
. shown around, and it will be the duty t
some OF our enterprising houses to {
cort him. He is large purchaser and 6
5 plenty of time and money. and il / a
II pay to be very attentive. The even a
g is spent at place of doubtful
Then they 60 back to the /
tel. Having just come to town, they 6
ast, of course, drink. Ia
A friend from the same mercantile es- b
blishment drops in, and usage and r
nerosity suggest that they must u
ink. Business prospects are talked d
er. and the stranger is warned against il
rtain dilapidated mercantile estab- p
hments that are about to fail, and for Il
III kindness and magnanimity of eau q
n against the dishonesty of other v
siness houses. Of course it is expected Il