Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-26
BUYERS AND SELLERS
BUSINESS LIFE THE SUBJECT OF DR..
TAlMAisE,S SERMON.
The Great Divine Pays a High COM
pliment to the Integrity of the
Business Man of TOday-DenOunces
Trickery In Trade.
downright. Louis Klopsch. lsoe.l

trickery in business life form the sub
ject of DR.. Talmage's sermon today.
and the contrast he establishes be-
tween the two is a striking one. The
text is Proverbs XXX, IA: at is naught,
it 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 | am sure he must, in disguise,
some day have walked into store of
ready made clothing in Jerusalem and
stood near the counter and heard a
conversation between a buyer and a
seller. The merchant put price on
coat, dHu lut DcSsdA " dlShSi
and said: absurd! That coat is not
worth what you ask for it. Why, just
look at the coarseness Of the fabric!
See that spot on the collar! Besides
that, it does not fit. Twenty dollars
for that? Why, it is not worth more
than $40. They have a better article
than that and for lower price down at
Clothem, Fitem & Bros. Besides that,
| don't want it at any price. Good
morning" "Holdv' says the mer-
chant do not go 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?' We'll"
says the customer, "a will split the diff
ference. You asked $50, and | said
$40. Now, l will give you SIS"
"Well," says the merchant, sit is
great sacrifice, but take it at that
price,"
Then the customer with a 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, l have made a great
bargain. How much do you guess |
gave for that coatY' ''Well," says one,
wishing to compliment his enterprise,
you gave $50 for it." Another says,
81 should think you got it cheap if you
gave $25." NO" says the buyer in
triumph, 81 got it for SIS. l beat him
down and pointed out the imperfec-
tions until really made him believe
it was not worth hardly anything. 1t
tahss me to make bargain. Ha, ha"
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 off his disguise, that he sat down
at his writing desk and made for all
ages a crayon sketch of you, ''It is
naught, it is naught, saith the buyer,
but when he is gone his way then he
boasteth."
Business 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 well established
as that of Petrarch residing in the
family of Cardinal Colonna. 1t 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 be came up to
swear, the cardinal put away his book
and said, GAS for you, Petrarch, your
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
fat and flung them so hard they can
never, never recover themselves.
While all positions in life have pow
erful besetnents to evil there are spe-
cific forms Of aliurement which are
peculiar to each occupation and pro-
fession, and it 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
rifice plain truth, the seller by eXag-
gerating the value of goods and the
buyer by depreciating 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 |
made up his mind that he has bought |
the goods at price which will allow
him a living margin when he again
sells them. The goods were worth |
what She salesman said they were and
were sold at price which will not |
make it necessary for the house to
fail every ten years in order to fix up
things
Iniquftous Stratagems.
But with what burning indignation
we think of the iniquitous stratagems
by which goods are sometimes dispos-
ed of. A glance at the morning papers
cr,n,,rs, tho nrr,iraI nt ou1 oR o,,r hntoIs