The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-10-05


cial integrity there are those who as
cribe it to greenness and lack of tact.
More need of honesty now than ever
before-tried honesty, complete hon-
esty-more than in those times when
business was plain affair and woolens
were woolens, and silks were silks and
men were men.
How many men do you suppose there
are in commercial life who could say
truthfully: In all the sales have ever
made l have never overstated the value
of goods; in all the sales / have ever
made have never covered up an imper-
fection in the fabric; in all the thou
sands of dollars have ever made have
not taken one dishonest farthing?"
There are men, however, who can say
it, hundreds who can say it, thousands
who can say it. They are more honest
than when they sold their first tierce
of rice, or their first firkin of butter,
because their honesty and integrity have
been tested, tried and come out tri-
umphant. But they remember a time
when they could have robbed partner,
or have absconded with the funds of q
bank, or made a false assignment, or.
borrowed illimitabiy without any eff
forts at payment, or got man into .
sharp corner and feeced him. But they
never took one step on that pathway
of hell fire. They can say their pray
ers without hearing the chink of dis
honest dollars. They can read their
Bible without thinking of the time
when with lie on their soul in the |
custom house they kissed the Book.
They can think of death and the judg-
ment that comes after it without any
finching-that day when all charlatans
and cheats, and jockeys and frauds
shall be doubly damned. 1t does not
make their knees knock together, and
it does not make their teeth chatter to
read "as the partridge sitteth on eggs
and hatcheth them not, so he that get
teth riches. and not by right, shall
leave them in the midst of his days, and
at his end shall be fool
What a school of integrity business
| life is! If you ever have been tempted
to let your integrity cringe before pres
ent advantage, if you have ever
wakened up in some embarrassment
and said: "Now, will step little
aside from the right path and no one
will know it, and will come ell right
again, it is only once" That only once
has ruined tens of thousands Of men
| for this life and blasted their souls for
eternity.
| Il man arose in Fulton street prayer
meeting and said: Il wish publicly to
acknowledge the goodness of God. I
| was in business trouble. had money
to pay, and had no means to pay it,
and was in utter despair, of all human
help, and i laid this matter before the
Lord, and this morning l went down
among some old business friends had
not seen in many years just to make
a call, and one said to me: why, am
so glad to see you! Walk in. We have
some money on our books due you
good while, but we didn't know where
you were, and therefore not having
your address, we could not send it.
We are very glad you have come" And
the man standing in Fulton street
prayer meeting said: 1.-The amount they
paid me was six times what owed"
You say it only happened SO? You are
unbelieving. God answered that mans
prayer.
Oh, you want business grace. Gom-
mercial ethics, business honor, laws
of trade, are all very good in their
place, but there are times when you
want something more than this world
will give you. You want God. For
lack of Him some that you have known
have consented to forge, and to mall
treat their friends, and to curse their
enemies, and their names have been
bulletined among scoundrels, and they
have been ground to powder, while
other men you have known have gono
! through the very same stress of circum-
stances triumphantly. There are men
here to-day who fought the battle and
gained the victory. People come out
of that mans store, and they say:
swell, if there ever was Christian
trader, that is one." Integrity kept the
). books and waited on the customers.
Light from the eternal world flashed
! through the show windows. Love to
God and love to man presided in that
storehouse. Some day people going
, through the street notice that the shut.
, ters of the window are not down. The
bar Of that store door has not been
' removed. People say: "What is the
matter?' You go up little closer. and
, you see written on the card of that win
! dow: 'Closed on account of the death Of
|, one of the firm." That day all through
. the circles of business there is tall
. about how good man has gone. Boards
n of trade pass resolutions of sympathy
4 and churches Of Christ pray: Help
! Lord, for the godly man ceaseth.' III
4 has made his last bargain, he has suf
Il fered his last loss. he has ached with th,
s last fatigue. His children will get th
4 result of his industry, or, if through
d misfortune there be no dollars left, the,
n will have an estate of prayer and Chris
IS tian example which will be everlasting
= Haavorly royva rda for earthly discj