Evening journal., 1911-06-15
ETHICS OF
BUSINESS
MIR. ROSSell Urges on GOldey
Students Necessity of
Being Accurate
SUGGESTS HONESTY
AS ONE OF VIRTUES


Safe Deposit Company, and an expert
accountant, addressed the students of
Goldey College yesterday afternoon on
Ethics Of the Business Profession" "
Speaking from a practical stand
point, Mr.. Rossell gave some valuable
advice to his auditors. After express
ing his pleasure at being present
again, he having lectured once before
on the subject of Business Profess
sion." at the college, Mr.. Rossell en-
phasized the necessity for accuracy in
all things, particularly in business.
Continuing, he said:
Need of Accuracy.
Accuracy is only one Of the quail
f1cations necessary for the business
profession. The business man Of to-
day must accumulate a vast fund OF
general information. He must make
some study of the law-the law of con-
tracts particularly | understand you
receive instructions here in CONNER
cial Law That is very important and I
hope you will be difigent in this study
You must be able to determine the
rights of individuals and TO apply GER
tain legal principles to the facts enter
ing into the transactions between the
dividuals. There is necessity, then, of
thorough qualification, and one is
only fitted for his or her chosen pro-
fession who has worked industriously
and intelligently and thus attaining a
mastery of the principles and rules of
that profession. OF course we have al
ways had and still have in all the pro
fessions, men and women who are su-
perior to their fellows. We have very
crnrd 10 l.,
very good doctors and very poor doc
tors; but the object to which each one
should aspire is perfection You may
not reach it in all its fullness. but
YOU should at least strive for il earn
estly
There is something more than
qualification required in every pro-
fession. There must be a conscien-
tious observance of the ethics which
relate directly 70 the profession itself
and are peculiar to it, whatever that
profession may be- What would re-
late to the legal and medical profess
sions would. perhaps. i'm a general
way. apply 10 any other; but I speak
particularly of the business profess
sisn. There are certain moral prin-
ciples, the observance of which is alb
the individual and for his protection
against the evil tendencies of the times.
II is with respect to those principles
that I wish to say few words to you
today
Necessity for Truth.
"A business man who is faithful to
the principles of his profession will
he a truthful man, and when 7 say
that he will be a truthful man, I
mean that he will adhere strict to
the truth. the whole truth and moth
ing but the truth in all his affairs:
that he will never misTepresent and
never beat around the bush" so to
speak He will be exact in his state
ments, and present his case, whatever
it may be. in clear unmistakable Ian
- guage. The ethics of business require
that truth shall be the guiding star in
all transactions.
Truth not only has its advantage
IN clarifying and directing negotia-
tions to the right conclusion. but it
strengthens the character of the in
dividual ] do not know that any one
OF you ever told a lie I hope you
never did, but / am sure If you ever
did and you reflect about it now. you
feel pretty mean over it,
"I have never believed in honesty
as the best of policy. 7 think that
old saving Is rather DANGEROUS one.
I would not advise any one Of you
to be honest merely as a matter Of
policy. because it might sometimes
happen that you would find it rather
a good stroke of policy not TO be hon
est Rather do 7 urge you to be hon
est because it is right 10 be honest;
because it is your duty to be honest;
because, particularly in business. you
cannot have true success unless You
are honest. Let honesty, then, be
with each one of you a virtue that you
will cultivate every day. and that you
will come TO understand is not an in
vention of man, is not mere regula-
tion of society, nor method OF pro
tecting oneself against the police, or
against some misfortune that might
overtake you, but that it is one of
the ennobling virtues of God-fearing
life Honesty is one Of the tunda-
mental principles upon which is bas-
ed the highest duty of the business
profession.
There is nothing that you can do
in preparing for the business profess
sion that will be so helpful as to un-
derstsnd thoroughly the principles
of truth and honesty-not as matter
of policy. and not because the nesessi-
ties OF the case require it;-but
truth and honesty as Code given vir-
tues II is said, to use a little Scrip
ture, that the fear of the Lord Is the
beginning of wisdom and that one
who fears the Lord will become
quite wise, and his wisdom will lead
him in the pathway Of truth.
No Special Privileges.
Il do not believe it is necessary for
me to say one word to alarm any of
you, but l am sorry to state that the
business profession in the United
states is represented today (as are
The legal profession, and the medical
profession. and perhaps the theolog-
icaD in various penitentiaries by some
very distinguished men. While IL may
have seemed very hard for President
Taft to have recently refused elem
ency to a man who had disregarded
the ethics of the business profession
and thereby lost his reputation and
his fortune and was at the time con-
fined in one of the penitentiaries, but
all must have been satisfied with the
high moral ground taken by the
President. The President was evil
IDENTIFY persuaded strongly that the
time had come TO make an example
of men who, having the confidence Of
the people entrusted with the care
- fbofr nropartv and Ioolrad unon oc