The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1865-11-03
Reply to "Senex. !"


For East Tennessee Union Flagl
My attention having been called to an arti-
Gle in your paper Of last week, over the sig
nature Of "Senex," ask a space ia your col
uuns to correct an erroneous idea that "Se-
mex" seems to entertain in regard to the true
met hod to save our land and country from
"writs and deeds, the court house and sheriff
sales" "in short, debt, poverty and despair"
Having occupied nearly a column in portray.
ing the evils that have beiallen US, he finally
sums up with this conclusion, viz to pass the
stores by on the other side. In other words,
not to trade with merchant unless compell-
ed to do so for something we really need
Now the merchants, according to "Scnex,'
are the only individuals who are going to
ruin the country, by offering to sell their
good. and inducing the people to buy, there
BY entailing ruin and poverty. "SeneX" says
'let us get out Of debt and keep out" Why
Senex" the merchants, the very men whom
you would pass OF the other side, are setting
the example, and are to-day, doing all they
can to keep you out of debt by refusing cred
it to one and all, and selling on the pay down
system exclusively, instead of inducing you
to buy, even what you are compelled to have,
on a credit they will refuse it if you ask for
| time, or in other words, If You want to run
in debt. will agree with "Senex" that we
ought to abstain from extravaganza, but he
is mistaken when he says that we have moth
ing to sell or barter with which we Can go to
the stores and purchase the necessaries, and
perhaps tie comforts of life. Tennessee and
especially East Tennessee has suffered much
from the war, but there is enough left yet, TO
keep the people from starvation and enable
late enough to place them beyond any con-
tngency Of want or suffering.
This was illustrated in single instance
by one Of our ladies from the country few
days since she came in with wagon load
OF " truck which was Immediately purchas-
ed or battered for by one Of our merchants,
and right glad he was to make the exchange,
the value Of the load was between forty and
fifty dollars; it consisted Of corn meal, eggs,
butter, feathers, potatoes, turkeys, lurnIps,
beet aud cheese. She bartered with tue
merchant Tor such articles rs she stood in
need OF or iancled, her corn meal ut one dol
lar per busne!, eggs twenty cents per dozen,
butter thirty cents per pound, feathers sixty
cents, cheese, sixteen cents, beef seven cents,
potatoes seventy cents per bushe!, turmps
fifty cents. Now these articles were only the
surplus of the farm and was hardly missed,
but it amounted TO the handsome sum OF
nearly fifty dollars, and probably supplied
the family with "store goods sufficient for
the Coming wIntec, the merchant whom Csc
mex would have you pass by on the other
side taking the eutlre load, nor did the trade
stop here, in short time the Hotel keeper
called IN and took the greater part OF these
articles at the same PRICE the merchant paid
for them, aud paid the money too, and where
did he get his money from, no. the farmer,
surely, but from the hundred passengers who
take breakfast at his house daily, and are
travelling North and South, not taking money
out Of the country, but bringing 1t in, which
finally finds It's way into the pocket Of tue
farmer for the products of his cows, gardens,
aud poultry. Nor did the exchange stop here,
the printer sent over and purchased few
pounds of butter and gave in exchange a
years subscription to the Union Flag" the
doctor carried or portion Of the beef, pay
ing for it with his medical services, thus one
snd another passed by but on the tame sde
and before night the entire load Of truck
had passed out OF the merchants hands and
supplied the wants Of many families and no
one in debt. This is not an over drawn
tale" the writer saw it and had the prices
from the merchant himself, and again it is an
every day occurrence and every one of our
stores are doing the same thing and the peo-
pie out Of debt, no poorer, far from ruin and
not despairing not afraid OF writs, nor deeds
nor court houses and perfectly willing to
shake hands with the Sheriff for they have
bought their goods and PAID for them and
nobody hurt.