Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-09-01
TRICKERY IN TRADE.
Rev. Dr.. Talmage Contrasts 1t with
Fair Dealing.
Condemns business Processes by
which Values Are Misrcprescnt-
ed-Many Merchants Mod
els of Integrity.
copyright. Louis Klopsch, 1901
Washington,

lOllu lnt suuJcNt VI w. dlihuE I SCI
mon to-day, and the contrast he es-
tablishes between the two is n striking
one. The text is Proverbs 20:li: "ltis
naught, it is naught, said the buyer, but
when he is gone his way, then he
boastcth."
Palaces are not such prisons as the
world imagincs. If you think that the
only times kings and queens come forth
from the royal gates is in procession
and gorgeously attended you are mis-
taken. mcognito, by day or by night,
and clothed in citizens apparel or the
dress of working woman, they come
out and see the world as il is. In no
other way could King Solomon, the
author of my text, have known every
thing that was going on. From my text
| am sure he must in disguise some day
have walked into store of ready
clothing in Jerusalem and stood near
the counter and heard conversation
between buyer and seller. The mer-
chant put n price on coat, and the
customer began to dicker 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, ii does not
iit. Twenty dollars for that? Why,
it is not worth more than ten dollars
They have a better article than that
and for lower price down at Clothem,
Fitcm & Bros. Besides that, | don't
want it at any price. Good morning"
Hold" says the merchant; 'do not so
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, II will split
the difference. You asked $50 and
said $40. Now, | will give you $15."
well" said the merchant, "it is great
sacrifice, but take it at that price"
Then the customer with roll under
his arm started to go out and enter
his own place of business, and Solomon
in disguise followed him. lie heard
the customer as he unrolled the coat
say: Boys, have made great bar
gain. How much do you guess gave
for that coat?" "Well,' says one, wish
ing TO compliment his enterprise, you
gave $50 for it," Another says: 81
should think you got it cheap if you
gave S24." NO" says the buyer, in tri-
umph; 81 got it for SIS. beat him
down and pointed out the imperfections
until ! really made him believe it was
not worth hardly anything. 1t takes
me TO make bargain. la, ha!" 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 a crayon
sketch of you. "It is naught, it 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 colaterals. Their good
reputation for integrity is as well cs-
tablished as that of Petrarch residing
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 sulli-
cient." 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
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, busi-
ness men are often tempted to sacrifice
plain truth, the seller by exaggerating
the value OF the goods and the buyer by
depreciating them. We cannot but adj
mire an expert salesman. See how he
first induces the customer into mood
favorable to the proper consideration
of the value of the goods. He shows
himself TO be an honest and frank sales
man. How carefully the lights are ar
ranged till they fall just right upon
the fabric! Beginning with goods of
medium quality, he gradually advances
toward those of more thorough make
and of more attractive pattern. How he
watches the moods and whims of his
customer! With what perfect calm
ness 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 TO make living margin
when he again sells them! The goods
were worth what the salesman said
they were and were sold at price
which will not make it necessary for
the house to fail every ten years in Or
der to fix up things
But with what burning Indignation
we think of the iniquitous stratagems
by which goods are sometimes disposed
ofl 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 comparative stran-
ger in the great city, and of course must