Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-09-04
THE MERCHANTS PRorRcr1vR UNION.


New-fork establishments styling themselves
Institutions" " Commercial Agencies" o.
Mercantile Agencies" which are supposed to
have great influence and actual power in pro-
ducing or prejudicing the standing aud credit
Of business men thronghoutthe Union. Having
their own secret agents in nearly every city
town, village, and at almost every croSs-roa
in the length and breadth OF the whole land
these concerns have become interviewer with
the whole mercantile system Of the country.
Every merchant, trader, manufacturer, and
banker, whether likely or not to make purchases
on time or ask for credit in any Of the principal
cities, is fully reported at their headquarters
his business, means, "respectability, standing,
are published, and even his private habits are
detailed and open to the inquiry of their eusto-
mers. So complete and thorough system OF
espionage as these concerns have everywhere
extended, is probably unknown even TO the
police departments of France or Austria.
So long as business shall continue to be done
upOn the credit system, establishments OF this
nature will probably continue TO exist, in some
form or another but the mode in which they
have been conducted-namely, by printing
Rocks of Reports, in which tens Of thousands
of business meu are denoted by dash l. }, or
an nsterisk (%), an Interrogation point (?). or
some similar mark, signiCyug that the party so
Indicated is "not recommended for credit" or
that the customer should inquire at the
office"-must, in view Of recent decisions in
slaudsr and libel suits, be materially modified
Those establishments, with their numerous
clerks standing behind long rows Of desks, on
which lie ponderous volumes wherein can be
learned a story, whether true or false, of every
merchant in any part of the country whatever,
will probably modify their business, or pass
away-the liability, in view Of recent decisions
IN slander suits arising out of their operations,
being o heavy to incur,
In the Mercantile Agency case Of BBARpsLEY
against TArrAN, the plaintiff recovered ten
thousand dollars and upon a motion for new
trial, made before the United States Circuit
Court for the Southern District Of New. York, I,
the Hon Samuel Nelson, one Of the ablest
Justices of the Supreme Court, has delivered an
opinion denying the motion, holding that the
publicity given to informant ton depreciatOry of
the standing aud character Of merchants, "by
recording the libelous words Ia a book, deprived
the communication of its otherwise privileged
character" He was further Of opinion that to
Iegalize these establishments in the manner aud
to the extcnt used by the defendant, is placing
one portion of the mercantile community under
an organized system of espionage and inquisiton
for the benefit Of the other, exposed, from the
very nature Of the organization, tn perversion
and abuse"
With the view Of obvinting the objectionable
features Of the former systems, company, WI h
capital stock of $500, 600, dividei into $40
shares, has been organized and Incorporated
under the laws of the State Of New-Ynrk. under
the title of The MERCHANTS PBOTECTIvE CNION,
On basis which seems to be free from the evils,
difficulties, and cmbarrassments under WHICH
those heretofore in existence have labored.
The nlan adopted by tile Merchants Protect
i've Union, though analogous in so ne particu-
lars tp that of the establishments above referitd
to, yet differs in such material respects as not
tn be amenable t. the ohjet tinns urged against
them, the main points Of difference being the
following:
First. All nee ssary Information as to the
pecuniIry responsibility or financial condition
aud standinguf business'me.I will be based up
on the written statements of the parties them
seives-sU far as attainabe to be furnished at
least twice each year, the agents OF tue Union
examining and revising such staten .nts when
deemed erroneous and, where the same can not
be obtained from the parties themselves, by
reason of their declining Or refusing To furnish
it, such iniormaton will be supplied by the
reliable and responsible correspondents Of the
institution, whose names will also be published
iu the Mercantile Reference Reports, to be issued
every six months. The character OF its cor
respondents, and the publicity thus given to
their connection with the organization, will prove
n sufficient guarantee of tie correctness # the
information thus obtained, and the Justice of the
reports furnished by them. There will be
nothing " sccret' or " strictly confdentinl" in its
reports Of the ratings and markings of the credit
and capital Cf business men-there will be no
futile prohibition to the effect that such ufOrma
ton ''shall never, in any way, be communicated
t. the persons reported"--there will be nothing
that NAV not be exposed to the light Of day.
Sccoad. The reports and information fur
nished By THE MERCHANTS Protective UNION
will be confined to those who are considered
worthy of credit of some grade and the names
of none who eau not be recommended for some
line or degree of credit will be mentioned or in
any way referred to.
1t is believed the above plan, adopted after
consultation with some of the ablest counsel in
nearly every State. will avoid the evils Of those
heretofore in operation will be productive If
no harm; will work substantial justice To all (;
and will, at the same time, furnish reports more
truthful and complete, ani therefore of much
greater value than any previously issued.
II will be seen, from thejc announcement in
another column, that in September the MER-
CHANTS Protective UNION will publish in one
large quartO volume TuE MERCASTILE REFER
ENCE REGIsTER, containing, among other things,
tie NAMES. NATURE OF BUSINESS, AMOUNT OF
CArITAL, ,FINANCIAL STANDING, AND r. TING AS
TO CREDIT, Of over 400, 900 Of the principal
merchants, traders, bankers, manufacturers.
and public companies. in more than 10000 Of
the citiVs, towns, villages, and settlements,
throughout the United States, their territories
and the British Provinces Of North America !;
and embracing the most important iniOrmltOn
attainahe and necessary TO enable the merchant
to ascertain at a glance the CAPITAL. CHAR
ACTER, aud DEGREE OF CREDIT lsuch Gust m
ers as are deemed worthy o. any graduation Of
credit with NEWSPAPER DREcTORY, contain
ing he title, character, price, and place of pub
lication, with full particulars relative to each
juurnal, being complete guide 10 the press of
every county in the United States.
BY aid of The MERCANTILE REGISTER, busi-
ness men will be enabled to ascertain al glance
the capital and graduation of credit, as COM
pared with financial worth, of nearly every
merchant, manufacturer, trader, and banker
within the above named geographical limits.
The price of the work is $50.
Those wishing for more information on the
subject of mercantile agencies will find the
question fully and ably discussed in the July
issue of the Wonhiy Groaicle, of the MER-
CHANTS PRoTE0TIvE UNIeN. The pamphlet
contains, in addition, very interesting details
as Ia the operations nf the former aud existing
agencies, and list Of legal correspondence
throughout the United States. It may be had
gratis, bv writing to THE MERCHANTS Pho.
rEcTIvE UNiOS, 1913 Broadway, Box 2566) New
York