Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-17
1T PAYS TO BE HONEST
"Be Good ana Your he Happy" said
Chsuncey Depew Five Years
Ago.

In the New York World OF December 81.
1899, Senator Depew contributed this ad-
vice.
Honesty is too much talked about as IL
It were scarce in these days. The business
principles OF today are better. purer and
more universally honest than they were in
the days of my boyhood. Then the motto
of life ran something like this: All is fair
in love, war and trade" But this generation
has tabooed that maxim. and business
methods were never better or more reputa-
BILE than they are at this minute.
Many immense fortunes have been made
by men OF this generation who employed
strictly honest means to attain their ulti-
mate success and great wealth.
John Wanamaker is a good man to take
for example He started in a small way
with a small store. and he is today one OF
the wealthiest men in the country. and he
has been always an upright, honest man.
In what lay the secret of his success?
Simply in this: He knew what the people
wanted, he knew where to buy it and he
knew how to advertise.
Many man. as we all know. has made
fortune through judicous advertising.
Some persons might consider that old
Commodore Vanderbilt was dishonest be-
cause he did not refund the money which
the stockholders of the Hudson River and
Harlem railroads would have made If they
had continued to hold their stock after he
took hold Of the roads. But he was not
| They cheated themselves out OF the money
by not being farslghted enough to hold on
! to their stock.
II have seen many men become wealthy
through dishonest methods, and my expert
ence with them has taught me this: That
most men who gain wealth dishonesty, II
they live long enough, get poor again. It
is almost an invariable rule, and II is rea-
sonable enough, If you stop to figure II out,
for it comes about in this way:
"A man employees dishonest methods and
| yet he becomes very wealthy All his con-
stituents know that his career is just a
little bit shady as regards business methods,
but he sails serenely along until a crucial
moment arrives-a moment such as we had
last week-when Money. Ready money!
Cash at any price!' was the cry Of the mad
dened brokers.
Then he finds his Waterloo. The credit
which he might have obtained, the conf
dence Of reliable. reputable firms which he
might have commanded. are not forthcom-
ing. His reputation for shady dealings, his
ability to slip out of tight places, his deft-
ness at evading technicalities OF ordinary
! business methods, all cause the firms who
would otherwise have come to his assist
snce to steer clear of such a trickster as
he is known to. have been-and he goes 70
| the wall
THE main temptation with which the or
dinary business man Of today is beset Is
the temptation to misrepresent his capital
or business prospects, and thus obtain
greater credit But doesn't do It, It does
not pay. The old, old adage. Honesty is
the best policy is the safest motto for
every business man to follow. and know
! what am talking about, too.
BE good and you'll be happy. but you
won't have good time may sound very
smart and elicit rounds of applause, but II
| is fallacy through and through. II IL
easier, much easier, for an honest man &c
become wealthy than for his dishonest
brother. who may seem to prosper for q
time, but, mark my words, 1t is only d
temporary success"