The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-02-25
CHANGE OF PUBLIC CONSCIENCE

Mems ideas Of public morals ar
changing.
The pessimist says they are low
ering, but he is wrong.
The old idea that in business
every man had a right to take ad
vantage of his neighbours igno
rance or necessity is gradually Civ
ing way to the doctrine that DC
man has a moral and ought not tc
have legal right to take advant'
age Of bis neighbor.
A generation ago 1t was a COM
mon thing for the customer to try
to beat down the merchant on his
prices and the merchant on the
other hand expected 10 be "jewed .
and asked an exorbitant figure il
order to allow himself a margin
OF reduction. If a customer hap
pened to be so creduIous that he
took the merchant at his word and
paid him his asking price. it was
considered legitimate for the mer-
chant to take his money; the COM
mon opinion being that If a man
was fool enough to allow himself
to be cheated it was his own look
out. At this dav no reputable
merchant would foll)w such Gus
tom.
Formerly aud even now the opin
ion was prevalent that any man
had the right to take advantage
of bis neighbor s necessities to get
his property for less than it was
worht. II on account OF debts and
misfortunes farmer was compelled
to realize on his crop at certain
time 1t had been considered legiti
mate to buy that crop for less than
its market value. just because the
farmer had to have the money
right then. On the other hand if
there was a sudden and extraor-
binary demand for any certain
thing il was considered perfectly
proper for the possessor of that
thing to ask all that it was posi-
lie to obtain for the thing regard
less of what might be its real val
ne.
There are a great many people
who still adhere to the old theories
but just the same they are wrong
The idea that every man has a
right TO take advantage in business
of his neighbours necessities is at
the very foundation of all monop-
olies and wrongs done by trusts.
Once admit that an Individual
has right to take advantage OF his
neighbor; to squeeze out of him
every dollar that necessity can COM
pei him to give up. and it is hard
TO make any successful argument
against monopoly.
Monopoly is founded on the
principle that it is simply business .
TO take advantage of necessity.
The old theory is wrong and
public conscience is gradually ,
coming to the point where it is I
ready to condemn it. I
No man has right to take ad- T
vantage of his neighbours neces- I
sites in financial way.
If your neighbor has horse to Il
sell worth 800 but is compelled by n
some dire necessity 10 raise $50 at y
once and offers to sell the horse for o
that amount we insist that you Il
rave no moral right to take advan- n
age of that necessity and pay him "
ialf OF what the animal is worth. q
We know that there are MANY ii
eaders OF this moral guide who N
sill say that such doctrine as this OF
S foolishnes, that it isn't business, NJ
mt the time is coming and is near OF
y here when the general enlight- IA
ned conscience will sustain that ia
octrine. b,
The time is coming when the in In
ividual or corporation or associa- or
on that takes advantage of neces- M
ty to buy an article for less than fr
is worth. or to sell il for more
ian it is worth will be ranked as
! extortioner and swindler. di
You have no right to take adj fe
sntage of your fellowman. ce
You have no right 10 pay him ga
IS for the fruit of his toll than it IN
worth. en-
You have no right to take adj di'
lutage of his necessities to sell
iything that may be necessary 10 :
Ipply his wants for more than il &c
worth. You have no more right fo'
do that as an individual than the ed
landard Oil Company or the Beef Ca
ust have as organizations.