XLVII. To every One his own
1.Cuique suum!" "To every one his own!" is an ancient maxim of justice. But in the present day it appears to become more and more antiquated and disregarded, and this is one of the principal causes of the deplorable social conditions of modern times.
Some years ago, a very important lawsuit was instituted in Vienna against one of the most prominent financiers. He was accused of embezzlement on a large scale. Counsel for the defendant brought forward, in order to excuse him, the saying that "a man in business nowadays can not afford to be scrupulous, if he aims to make a large fortune," or one can not build a great system of railways with the moral law. In plain and intelligible language this is the same as saying: "In undertakings where it is a question of making money, one must not be too particular. The Ten Commandments have nothing to do with the matter, nor the eternal and immutable laws of right and wrong; against deception, embezzlement, and robbery, they must all be suspended. Away with the antiquated saying: "To every one his own." This is nowadays the rule of conduct in regard to commercial transactions for very many individuals, both on a small and an extensive scale. But to the number of these persons, you, dear reader, must not in any case belong, but you will at all times uphold the first principle of Christian justice: "Cuique suum": "To every one his own!"
2. Therefore it is a matter of course that you should before all things, and under all circumstances, remain absolutely faithful to this principle: never in any position of life to appropriate the smallest sum which does not justly belong to you - not a nickel, not even a
