The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-08-14
STAND FOR SOMETHING
Concluded From Page 6,

Concluded From Page 6.
young men who know these facts will
TRY to build up a business on a foun-
ldation of cunning. schening, and
Itrickery, instead OF building on the
Isolid rock Of character, reliability,
and manhood? Is 1t not remarkable
that so many men should work SO
hard to establish business on an
unreliable, fimsy foundation, instead
OF building on the solid masonry of
honest goods. square dealing, upon
reliability?
A name Is worth everything until
ut is questioned; but when suspicion
clings to it. it is worth nothing.
There is nothing in this world that
will take the place Of character.
There is no policy in the world, to say
nothing of the right or wrong Of it.
that compares with honesty and
square dealing.
In spite of, or because of, all the
'crookedness and dishonesty that Is
being uncovered, of all the scoun-
drels that are being unmasked, integ-
rity is the biggest word in the BUSH
ness world to-day. There never was
a time in all history when it was SO
big, and it is growing bigger. There
never was a time wnen character
meant SO much is business, when it
stood for so much everywhere as it
docs to-day.
There was a time when the man
who was the shrewdest and sharpest
and cunningest in taking advantage
of others got the biggest salary; but
to-day the man at the other end of
the bargain is looming up as never
before.
Nathan Straus, when asked the Sc
cret of the great success of his firm,
said it was their treatment of the
man at the other end of the bargain
He said that they could not afford to
make enemies; they could not afford
to displease or to take advantage of
customers. or to give them reason
to think that they had been unfairly
dealt with,-that in the long run, the,
who gave the s4uarest deal to,
the mar at the other end of the bar
gain would get ahead fastest.
Dent Deal With I11eriority.
There are merchants who have
made great fortunes, but who do rot
carry weight among their fellow men.
because they have dealt all their lives
with inferiority- They have lived.
with shoddy and shams 50 long that
the suggestion has been held in them,
minds until their whole standards OF
life have been lowered; their ideals,
have shrunken; their characters have.
partaken of the quality of their bust
ness.
Contrast these men with the men,
who stood for half a century or more
tial institutions; men who have al
the head of solid. houses, substan-
ways stood for quality in everything;
who have surrounded themselves not.
only with ability but with men and
women of character.
We instinctively believe in. charac-
ter. We admire people who stand.
for something; who are centered. In
truth and honesty. 1t is not n~ecessa-
ry that they agree with u.s.. We adj
mire them for their strength, the
honesty of their opinions, the infexi-
hility of their principles.
The late Carl Schnrz. was. a strong
man and antagonized many people.
He changed. his. political views ve.Ns
often; but even his worst enemies
knew there was one thing he would
never go back On, friends or 10,
friends, party or no party;;. and. that
was his devotion to principle as he
saw it. There was no parleying with
his convictions. He could stand alone,
ii necessary, with all the world
against him. His Inconsistencies. his
many changes IL parties and policies,
could not destroy the. universal adj
for the man who stood for
his convictions. Although he escaped
from a German prison and fed his
country, wnere he had been arrested
account of his revolutionary prin>
ctnies when but a mere youth. EN-
peror William the First had such a
profound respect for his honesty Of
purpose and his strength of charac-
ter that he invited him to return to
Germany and visit him, gave him q
public dinner. and paid him great
tribute.
Whoever illustrates in his life the
great fundamental principles of rec
titude, of honesty, and square deal
ing will be respected. Many cheap
politicians ridicule Roosevelt for set
ting up such a high moral standard.
They laugh at the idea of all his talk
not only of the whole American peo-