The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-12-19

which their employers have eXpreSseu
The Spirit of Depreciation.
But though words of commentator
may have such benefcent results ID the
employers dealings with employees
yet it is the settled policy Of many d
business man not only to say nothing
pleasant to his employees, but also 10
make his clerks live upon as smail
salary as possible until he is by force
of circumstances compelled to pay
them more. | am sorry to say, too, tha'
this spirit of depreciation, this reIuc-
lance to recognize and reward merit
is sometimes seen in the relation OF Il
church to its minister, although, thank
God, most congregations are not selhsh
and are giving their pastors all the en-
enlargement and financial support that
they can. A selfish congregation VIII
start in with system of fault finding
1t will grind the minister down and
down. 1t will make the pulpit dump
ing ground for all its carping and con
temptible criticism. 1t will for years
keep it's minister upon starvation sal
airy. Then after awhile. when that
minister gets call from a sister
church in a neighboring city, with an
increase of $1,000 or $1,000 salary, that
congregation will act as though bomb
had suddenly dropped among them.
They will gather around the minister to
plead with him with beseeching tears,
The boards of the church will immedt-
ately meet and vote to raise the minis
ter's salary $1,000. Resolutions will be
passed begging the minister not to
leave them. If that minister is so yalu-
able to the congregation now, why was
he not appreciated before? If the con
gregation could raise the salary $1,000
now, why not before? If the congrega-
ton could pass cOmmendatOry reSOlu-
lions now, why not before? Oh, no;
that is not the policy upon which many
a selfish church and many a business
establishment is run. The policy which
is almost everywhere in vogue is that
against which Solomon is giving the
warning of my text. 1t is to say as
few pleasant things as possible, to pay
as little as we can to those who are in
our employ and then to spend the rest
of our time in Boosting how much we
have been able to get for little Or for
practically nothing.
Depressing depreciation is annually
driving thousands and hundreds of
thousands of poor men, women and
children into a life of crime and into
a quickstep march to premature
hA ic ltv Of "a;
ty in the evil. 1t not only encourages
the employer in his inadequate remu-
neration of his employees, but it incites
it. Everywhere the universal cry is.
"Give us something cheap cheap,
cheap cheapr and the heads of the
large factories and stores are daily try
ing to meet this demand and to meet it
the salaries of employees must be cut
down. By the laws of social economics
some people must be- figuratively,
showed to the wall. 1t is not the head
of the great dry goods emporium who.
as q rule, has to suffer. oh, no. He will
get his percentage of profit no matter
what comes. But it is the mechanic at
the bench, it is the poor female clerk
y
live on. 1t is the poor sewing girl who
has to work all night and far into the
hours of the night. 1t is not, as rule,
the capitalist who has to be crushed
and squeezed by the great crowds
which swarm around the bargain
counters" on Monday morning, 1t is
the small wage Garner whose heart and
life are being trampled under the feet
of men and women who are securing
the stores to find goods which they can
purchase at little above, or even less
than, cost. 1t is the poor girl and the
young man who on account of the aw-
full struggle for livelihood, which is
daily becoming harder, are throwing
themselves into the Outstretched arms
of temptation, and who are becoming
more and more reconciled to lift their
thin. pale lips for the polluted, poison
Gus, cancerous kiss of sin.
Causes Many a Funeral.
The grinding and Satanic effects of
sinful depreciation in the business world
are the cause of many tragedy. Look
at that funeral! Who was that poor
creature whose body is being taken to
potter's fiel( ? Yes, tumble her into a
pine box ; I'd shovel her under the
ground, Who cares? She is nothing
but a poor working girl-yes, nothing
but a poor working girl-yet her life
was Just as dear to her as yours is to
you. She had an invalid mother and
little baby brother, At night, when she
would come home from the store, she
would sometimes bring n few faded
mowers and put them in an old broken
pitcher and say: "COme, mother; let's
play we were out in the country. How
| wish we could see the old farm, where
papa used to take us before he died!
Tired? Oh, yes; a little. The store is
so hot, and the customers, especially
about Christmas, find so much fault
with us, as though we were not human.
But, then, think of you and the baby,
and the seedlings of the floorwalker
do not cut so deep. There, mother, kiss
me good night You know | must be
up early in the morning to be down to
the store or time"
Day after day she got weaker and
WedhGI- L ne uOuIS were lOilB' Inv
boxes were heavy to lift. All, she was
earning bread. She was earning it
with her life's blood. After awhile two
little red spots appeared in her thin,
pale cheeks. Her eyes had an unnat-
ural brilliancy. Half the night she
would toss and toss, unable TO sleep.
The hacking cough never seemed to re-
IA frafF
chest. One day no. 81" tainted. When
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