Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-08-02
SERMON
Rev. DR.. CaIftlaee

NV. U> (0llllGYE
Subject: Buyers and sellers-Novel Views
on tho Business Life-Hich COmpli-
ment tn Commercial Integrity-rrick
cry in Trade Denounced.
Copyright. Louis Klopsch. 1891
WAsHINaroN. d. C.-Integrity and trick
cry in business life form the subject OF DR..
Talmage's sermon, and the contrast he
establishes between the two is a striking
one. The text is Proverbs Xxx, IA: SIT is
naught, 1t is naught, saith the buyer, but
when he Is gone his way then he boasteth. -
Palaces are not such prisons rs the world
imagines. II you think that the only time
kings and queens come forth from the royaI
gates Is in procession and gorgeously at
tended, you are mistaken. Incognito by
day or by night and clothed in citizens APP
palel or the dress OF a working woman,
they come out and see the world as 1t is
In no other way could King Solomon. the
author Of my text, have known ever ! hing
that was going on. From my text am ARE
he must, in disguise, some day have W liked
into a store Of ready made clothing in . cru
salem and stood near the counter and heard
a conversation between a buyer and a sell
er. The merchant put price on coat,
and the customer began to dicker and said:
ask for 1t. Why, just look at the coarse
ness Of the fabrici See that spot on the
collar! Besides that, 1t does not fit.
Twenty dollars for that? Why, it is not
worth more than $40. They have a better
article than that for lower price down at
Clothem, Fitem Bros. Besides that, 1
don't want 1t at any price. Good morn
ing" "Holdp' says the merchant. "Do
not go of 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 cont2' ''Well,'' -
ence. You asked $40, and said so. Now,
I will give you s15.' "Well," says the
merchant, cit is great sacrifice. but take
It at that price,
Then the customer with roll under hi.
arm 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, have made
a great bargain. How much do you guess
I gave for that coat?" "Well,'' says one
wishing to compliment his enterprise,
''you gave $50 for it." Another says, 81
should think you got it cheap il you gave
e25." NO." says the buyer in triumph,
~ got 1t for SIS. l beat him down and
pointed out the imperfections until 1
really made him believe 1t was not worth
hardly anything. 1t takes me to make q
bargain. Ha, ha!'' Oh. man you got the
KOOuS tOI less tHitu tuey were worth Dy
positive falsehood, and no wonder, when
Solomon went back to his palace and had
put off his disguise, that he sat down at
his writing desk and made for all ages n
crayon sketch of you, 1T is naught, it is
naught, saith the buyer. but when he is
gone his way then he boasteth.''
There are no CHER styles OF men in al
the world than those now at the head of
mercantile enterprises in the great cities
OF this continent. Their casual promise Is
"a good as bond with piles Of collaterals
Their reputation for integrity Is as well es
tablished as that of Petrarch residing in
the family Of Cardinal Colonna. 1t is re-
lated that when there was great disturb
ance In the family the cardinal called nll
hts people together and put them under
oath to tell the uthtxcept Petrarch;
when be@eaiie a' to--sr the cardfsn'
Pot away his book and snu, As for yo1,
Pctrarch, your word Is sufflcfent." Never
since the world stood have there been SO
many merchants whose transactions can
stand the test of the Ten Commandments.
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 powerful
besetments to evil there are specific forms
of allurement which are peculiar to each
occupation and profession, 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 sacrifice plain
truth. the seller by exaggerating the value
of goods and the buyer by depreciating
them. We cannot 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 hoi est
and frank salesman. How carefully the
lights are arranged till they fall just right
upon the fabric! beginning with goods of
Medium quality, he gradually advances
toward those Of more thorough. make and
watches the moods and whims of his GUS
tomerl 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 price which will allow him a
living margin when he again sells them.
The goods were worth what the salesman
said they were and were sold at a price
which will not make 1t necessary for the
house to fail every ten years in order to fix
up things.
But with what burning Indignation We
which goods are sometimes disposed 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 enterprising houses to escort him: He
Ia q large purchaser and has plenty of time
and money, and 1t will pay to be very at
tentive. The evening is spent Mt place OF
doubtful amusement. Then they go back
to the hctel. Having just come to town
they must, of course, drink.
A friend from the same mercantile estab-
nahmanf drnna In and and
i'y suggest that they must drink. Busi-
ness prospects are talked over, and the
stranger Is warned against certain dilapi-
dated mercantile establishments that are
about to fail, and for such kindness and
magnanimity of caution against the dis
honesty of other business houses of course
It is expected they willard so they do
take drink. Other merchants Logging In
adjoining rooms find 1t hard to sleep for
the clatter Of decanters, and the coarse
carousal Of these "hail fellows well metz
WAKES louder. But they sit not all night
at the wine cup. They must see the sights.
They stagger forth with checks flushed
and eyes bloodshot. The outer gates of
hell open to let In the ctims. The wings
OF lost souls fit among the lights, and the
steps Of the cnrousers sound with the rum
bling thunders of the lost. Farewell to all
the sanctities of homel Could mother.
sister, father, slumbering in the inland
home, in some vision OF that night catch n
glimpse of the ruin wrought they would
Tend out their hair by the roots and bite
the tongue till tho blood spurted, shriek-
ing out, "God save himr'
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 unprecedented run OF buyers, and the
name OF the house may be 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 blooded
span, and the families may sweep the street
with the most elegant apparel that human
art ever wove or earthly magnincence ever
achieved. But curse is gathering surely
for those men, and II 1t does not seize hold
Of the pillars and In one wild ruin bring