The Detroit times., 1915-11-25
Business and Faith
BY DR.. FRANK CRANE
Copyright, 1915. by Frank Crane)

lAiN NbiH II kloNiilY Dellef. lncTe
are more honest people than dishonest.
Most men you meet would rather be
straight than crooked. Most women
would rather be good than bad Almost
all children will grow up industrious and
gentle if they have a chance.
| am not arguing this | am stating
it, as a creed The person who believes
it will find this world mighty good and
pleasant place Whoever does not believe
it will become sour and wretched, if
not already so.
\ lady was locking around in the glass
ware section of big department store
the other day. She had priced vase.
1t was $40 The clerk had gone away
and the lady continued to inspect the
beautiful objects all about Suddenly
her coat caught the selfsame vase. 1t
fell and was shattered. CHANGING around
she saw no one near She went over to
the other side of the room found the
clerk and said to him:
81 have accidentally Knocked that $40
vase from the table and broken it,
have not the money with me, but here is
my card. Send me the bill and will pay
for IT, 1t was my fault | was awkward"
Wait here. a moment" replied the
clerk, and went away presumably to con-
suit the manager. In a short time he
returned and said:
The manager says that's all right,
Mrs, Blank il was accidental. There is
nothing TO pay"
The lady was dHmfeHRded But she
was permanent customer Of that store
ever after.
This is not an isolated case. Mer-
chants of the more intelligent type are
learning that it pays TO trust people and
TO treat them with generous courtesy.
The old era when everybody was con-
sidered a thief and had to be watched,
is passing.
Publications are full of advertise
ments offering pianos, books, clothing,
and all sorts of goods con approval or
on small payments. The seller every
where is taking chances that a genera
ton ago would have seemed absurd
asked the credit man of huge whole
sale and retail concern in Chicago the
other day, how much he lost in bad
debts, what proportion Of buyers de-
faulted. His answer was: LESS than
two-thirdS Of one per cent"
at is curious thing" said the post
master Of large town in Illinois to me
some time ago that most men who
by mistake receive q cent or two too
much change at the stamp window vol
unfairly come and give il back. II looks
like they would rather not have the
money than 10 have the consciousness
that they have money that doesn't belong
90 them.
OF course We are impressed by the
man who swindIeS us more than by the
twenty who deal fairly We forget that
the average is twenty 70 one
/ met a lecturer the other day who
said 81 have had rather remarkable
experience this summer. Mr. A., the
lecture bureau man, met me IN New
York at a clubhouse He asked me to
give him three months time at 81 900
month. | agreed. After awhile he
sent me my list of engagements. fill
ed them, collected all the money and
settled up with him. There was not
scrap of paper, contract. or anything OF
the sort. took his word. He took
mine. That was all there was 10 1t. Just
one minutes conversation and no wit
nesses, and on that we. did several thou
r. nd doils.rs' worth 80 -''"''o"ss
We are trusting each other more.
The reason is, that the more we trust,
the more we become trustworthy What
Warden Osborne of Sing Sing Prison
has found out about criminals is true
of humanity everywhere the more you
repose confidence in men the more they
measure up to it. And the more you
treat people like beasts and devils, the
more beastly and devilish they prove
themselves.
We are slowly learning that saliva
tion bv faith" is not mere theological
expression; it is great law of human
relations. Society is saved by faith, by
annreciation. and it is damned by doubt,
suspicion, and hate.
,r,uAc EVER THIS