merchants' weakness or ignorance, or of stealing a march on them; when you remember that a very shady piece of covert deceit was considered but the action to be expected of a smart business man; when you think of the questionable devices that were resorted to, to run up or beat down prices; when you think of the companies that were floated by making use of false statements, skilfully worded to evade the law, by men holding what in your day were considered honourable positions; when you recollect the hundreds of thousands of poor widows and inexperienced people who were taken in by these devices, I think you will agree with me in saying that it was difficult to get a good man filling such a position. But far be it from me to say that all business men were bad. They must not be judged by our present standard of goodness. No, I would rather say that they should be judged more by a standard that will make allowance for the terrible temptations and necessities with which they were surrounded. Where a good, true
