The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-05-27


of one kind of food than he needed and his
neighbor had more than be needed of another
kind of food, the one traded his surplus tor
the surplus of the other Both were benefited
by this transaction. One man had butter and
eggs and he traded them for clio h and sugar.
There was no money. Money was made to
facilitate the exchange of values and for the
convenience of trading. Money has no value
in ITSELF 1t is only the representative OF
value. 1t is the medium ofeXchange OF values
Now all the legitimate operations OF the busl'
ness world are developments of this primitive
practice of the exchange of values by which
both parties in the transactions were benefited.
The lawyer, the teacher, or the physician gives
his time, his knowledge and skill in exchange
for money with which he can buy what he
needs. tits sometimes said that business is ma
teralzed sefshness, that it is a means by which
one seeks to appropriate the possessions OF
another. This is not true. 1t depends alto
gether upon the spirit of the man who con-
duets the business. A man is in business not
only for himself hut also TO accommodate and
provide for his fellow men. Both are bene-
fitted by the exchange of values. In a trans.
action man who seeks to get all the advant-
age and who endeavors to get the property OF
his brother without giving value tor it, is not
doing business. Don't desecrate the word
business by applying it to AN operation IN
which deceit and trickery play the chief parts
Lotteries and all gambling operations are
immoral because there is no exchange OF
values One person is benefited 10y the loss
OF others Ii is well for us all to keep this
simple and fundamental principle m mind,
namely, The exchange OF values Tor The mutual
bentf of the parties in the transaction. This
is business. Any transaction TO which tins
principle cannot be applied is not business at
L. u. rod ltN a
person who has no true conception at business
morality. 1t is piece OF trickery. Some
times we hear n person spoken Of as being u
sharp, shrewd business man, but you would
not call such a person an ideal business man
You know that 1t is a very narrow line that
divides sharp and shrewd practices from IN
scrupulous and uuprincipled practices ! on
would not call the ideal business man one
whom you would have to watch IN a business
transaction for fear he would get all aud you
nothing. The ideal business man is not sloth-
full, but diligent, not sharp and shrewd and
cunning, but wise and far seeing. and above
all honorable, fair and just. Such man Is
not envied when he succeeds in business. for
he retains the respect and confidence OF his
fellow men. His success he has won by
honorable means. by diligence and wisdom
and not by cunning and trickery. When men
deserve success when they have attained II
by honorable, fair and just means, their
neighbor will rejoice with them. When
man is conducting his business according to
christian principles, he Is public benetsctor.
By his life and example be Is encouraging
and helping his negbbors in the practice Of
the christian virtues Of industry, diligence,
honesty and justice.
Any practices prevailing in the business
world which do not conform to this principle
of the exchange of values by which both buyer
or seller are benefited are immoral. Before
the enlightened christian conscience OF the
age they will stand condemned. Any business
man who respects himself aud who hopes TO
win and retain the respect Of his neIghbors,
will always give value received. He will take
no unfair or mean advantage of another. he
will seek TO do to Others as he would wish TO be
done by Then his hands will always be
clean, his heart pure aud his conscience un-
defled.
Men sometimes say that the application Of
christian principles TO trade and business Is
impraeticable II that be so then christianity
is failure. But this cannot be. Christianity
is Gods greatest gift TO man, and il IS adapted
to all Of mans needs II is thoroughly prac
teal The most successful business may be
conducted entirely IN accordance with the
teachings of Christ This has been done and
is being done by many thousands every day.
AT the present time many complicated
questions in business are agitating our coan-
try aud they must be settled, If not peaeeahly,
then with violence.
Says DIR. Abbott, in q recent issue Of the
Outlook what IS a fair rate OF interest for
money loaned, what is a fair rsie Of wages Tor
services rendered. and what fair dividend
on capital invested are being asked more
loudly every day. They are questions not
easy TO be answered. There Is one answer
which has been given in the pas, which The
enlighted christian conscience sllE no longer
accept Ii is ''Ati that can get
The man who exscis a ruinious rate OF IN
terest out of the necessities OF the borrower,
and the capitalist who has got eoutrol Of one
OF the necessities of life and who exacis an
exorhitant price out Of the necessities Of the
public, are alike guilty Of wrong. The cart
man who exacts City dollars a load 10 remove
the goods of = fellow toWHsman while Bali
more is burning, and the railroad manager
who charges as high freight rates as the trAshe
will bear are alike guilty Of wrong. A con.
hinstiou Of capitalists formed for the purpose
of cornering the market in some necessity like
beef, or wheat. or coal oil. and pushing up the
price beyond = reasonable compensation for
the service rendered, and a combination Of
working men organized for the purpose Of
coruering the labor market and securing the
highest possible price for their labor, which
can be exacied from q long suffering CON
maniy. fall alike under the same moral Goa
demnAiion. The strike Of capitalists Is neither
better nor worse than the strike Of working
men when il is the community that is struck
81 aud when the end Is extortion.
The tact Of the matter is that we must carry
the principles OF christian ethics into business
as well as into the other relations and activi
ties Of life. And one OF the most essential Of
these principles Is TO DO in business as yon
would have Others do TO you. There will BE-
friction, and serious trouble, outbauts Of Vi.
leuce aud passion as long as this principle Of
christian ethics does no, govern the great mass
of men IN the business relation Il Is the
office of the church 10 teach this truth. and
the privilege and duty of her members to
practice IT,