The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-24
Press Comment
Morality in Business.

| Phase OF Inc BUSINESS NE OF To-Day
that is receiving the serious atten-
ton of sober minded folk who are
old-fashioned enough to cherish the
belief that morality is still the basis
/ of permanent success. That phase
has to do with the gradual weakening
of public faith in what is known as
the "sanctity Of contracts term
| that is quite as often abused as it is
used in its proper meaning. When
business men imagine that. they can
with impunity break contract or
agreement whenever they find it to
| their interest to do so, they strike at
the very root of all commercial inter-
course and destroy that basis of con-
/ fidence and mutual respect without
which the whole commercial and eco
nomic structure would speedily fall to
! pieces.
| How many men in business have
given any serious thought to the dis
astrous effect of the recent manifes-
tation of this spirit of indifference to
! the sanctity of contracts that has
taken the form of cancellation of or
ders? Even their own self interest
would dictate a different policy, aside
from the moral aspects of the DELHI
crate repfldiation of orders, because in
the long run no one member of the
social and business structure can hope
! to escape from the consequences Of
the widespread adoption of so vicious
a practice. BY destroying confidence
| in the stability of trade relations trade
| itself will be destroyed. This is so
obvious that it is hardly a matter for
argument, yet "cancellitis'' is preva-
lent to a perilous degree and is an
economic disease that needs to be
eradicated if economic health is to be
maintained.
| There ought to be no confusion OF
thought in this matter of the sanctity
of contracts. There are, of course,
certain forms of contracts entered
into in disregard of public rights and
against the public interests which leg
islatures and courts have rightly set
aside. A contract which perpetuates
gross wrong, or which fastens in
perpetuity an injustice upon a whole
community, or which binds only one
party to the compact, is without
"sanctity" and ought to be broken
But these are different matters from
the form of contpact breaking that
now troubles the business world
These are individual refusals to fulfill
an obligation to pay for ordered goods
the dishonest shifting of the. risks and
burdens of market uncertainties. a
practice that should not be tolerated
among honorable men.-Public Ledg-
er, Philadelphia, Pa, Dec. 6, 1920.
What Is a Seaman
Donal J. O'Callaghan, amyor of
Cork, concealed himself as "a stowa-
way in a vessel coming to a United
States port, until forced by sea sick
ness and hunger to come out, after
which he was made to work his way"
theoretically, to pay for his passage.
The law Of the United States is that
a passport is necessary for entrance
from certain places and by certain
people. He did not have a passport.
He was arrested on arrival at Nor
folk, and bailed out while the courts
determined what to do with him. He
Immediately used his liberty to "get
over the propaganda he was sent here
to deliver.
The state department of the United
States says he shall be deported, and
that means he should have been held
in detention until deportation The
department of labor holds him a "sea
man" and grants him permission to
land in the United States and to re-
ship at pleasure" when ready.
1t seems to a layman that one of
the things this country's highest court
should establish is what is a sea
man?'
1t has been strongly suspected for
many months that the department of
labor of the United States would
more properly be named the depart
ment of the American Federation of
Labor. Tampa has seen enough Of
its agents in this territory in phos-
phate, shipyard and cigar strikes and
attempted strikes, to understand that
what Samuel Gompers says to it, goes.
Here is one thing the republican
new administration will undoubtedly
correct. A departmental labor" like
the one in existence should be offset
by a department of capital!"
But we takesoff our hat to the crowd
that is handling the mayor of Cork's
visit to this country. They are. get
ting what they came for just the
same, and when they are through they
don't give a darn whether he is ode
ported" or allowed to "reship at pleas
ure." 1t reads like the old story of
the bartender who called up stairs:
as Mulligan good for drink" HAS
he had it?" Yes" He is."-Tampa
Tribune.
inviting War of Tariff Reprisals.