The Washington herald., 1918-06-09
Business Methods
Which Ruin Character
By Rev. JAMES L. GORDON, DID.
Minister First Congregational
Church Of Warrington. DC.

BY Rev. JAMES L. GORDON, DID.
Minister First Congregational
Church of Washington. DC.
Text: Rom. Kill: Not slothful
In business: fervent In spirit; serv-
ing the Lord"
There are four great tests OF
character. First. the home test: how
a man treats those with whom he
Lives. Second. the business test;
lhow q man conducts himself toward
ihis customers and employees. Third
the social test: how q man acts to-
ward those who do not enjoy the
same social advantages as himself
Fourth. the success" test: how a
Imam behaves himself when favoring
circumstances bring him wealth
power. position and honor. In this
discourse we will deal with the
second of these.
The commercial realm must be
Christianized or our civilization
will be commercialized. To-day
the moral heroes of the world are
battling for business morality In
| the business world. John Morley,
after a career of extensive opera
tIons and vast experience, uttered
these startling words: In public
life covering many years. L nave
only known four men whose per-
sonal love of truth was absolutely
unassailable." Theodore Roosevelt
affirmed that in his political expert
ence he has found three classes OF
men. First, the man who is hon.
est; second, the man who is dishon-
est: third. the man who is honest
according to law-just honest
enough to keep out of the peniten-
tiary.
Thank heaven, there are honest
men, Men who believe in honesty
for the sake of honesty. John
Bright said of William Z. Glad
stone that he had persuaded the
House OF Commons to do many
things for no other reason than
that they were just and right" and
Sydney Smith said concerning the
historian. Lord Macaulay. be-
lieve Macauley to be absolutely in
corruptible. You might lay before
him ribbons. stars. garters. titles.
wealth and position without temp
tation." We ought TO thank destiny
for these great historical illustra-
tions.
| We need. in this hour. the inspi-
ration Of history's heroic deeds. for
the moment a young man enters the
commercial realm today he be-
comes conscious OF a great conflict
]. ID. Naysmith, a splendid Toronto
business man. who has recently
passed over the border into the un-
seen world. said to me several years
before his death: "A young man en-
tering business discovers. six
j months after he has entered the
commercial realm. that all his ideas
\ of morality. gathered up in the SUM-
day school, have been knocked end
wise"
When Adam Clark was a young
clerk in a Dublin mill. the proprie-
tor, pressed for goods during the
busy season. took a roll OF material
several yards short OF the required
specifications. and instructed Adam
| Clark to take hold of the other
end" exclaiming: Pull, Adam
/ pull" but the future commentator
of Methodism refused to pull. He
had enthroned honor in his soul!
! An American Senator remarks;
I'm my boyhood days my home was
directly opposite the State capitol
| at Albany. y. Y. That capitol was
surmounted by a bronze figure OF
the Queen OF Justice. holding in her
hands a pair of scales" Those
scales" remarks the Senator. "were
absolutely even" The moral needs
L
preston of every holy ideal In
bronze. marble. gold and granite
in civic buildings, ecclesiastical edi.
fee. and municipal architecture.
When a merchant compels hi,
statesmen to misrepresent his good,
in order TO effect a sale. he is adopt.
ing a method which blasts charac'
ter and renders insecure the foun.
dations OF society. A customer. in Z
New York jewelry store. asked tn,
question: Are those rings sixteeI
carats2" The young man behind IN,
counter replied: These rings ar,
fourteen carats." The customer re,
marked. with an expression of dis
appointment on his face: "Ah. but
wanted a sixteen-carat ring" anC
abruptly passed out. The moment h,
had gone the head of the firm saiC
to the young man: why did yoJ
not tell him the rings were sixteer
carats? In business We must max,
these little Interpretations" AnC
then. turning again TO the young
man with a sneer. he remarked
You will never succeed in bust
ness"
The first day that 4. T. Stewart
opened his store in New York Cit,
a woman came in TO purchase
piece of calico. and in doing so sh,
asked the ordinary questions: "Ar,
these colors fast?" They will no
wash out. will they:" The enterpris
ing salesman replied that the colori
were fast" and that the goods
though exceedingly low in price
would prove to be satisfactory il
every particular. Mr.. Stewart. whC
happened TO be near by. overheard
the conversation and, instructing Z
| hoorwalker to detain the woman foI
moment. addressed a work of re.
buke and expostulation to the un
scrupulous clerk. saying: What d.
you mean by deceivinG the woman
in that fashion? You know that tn.
colors are not fast and that IL the,
were the goods could not be sold a
the figure marked upon Them Car
you expect that customers will re.
turn to our store. at some futur,
day. when they discover that the,
have been deceived and cheated ?
But the clerk. who had been in tn,
dry goods business much lonre,
than Mr.. Stewart. smiled incredu
lously. and sneeringly remarked: ct
rs easy to see that you won't last
But A. T. Stewart lasted. He lasteS
until his name had become a syno
nym for commercial success. unit
his establishment was known in ey
cry household in the land for enter