Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-30

ME-. EDfroR: Co-operatien appears not 20
nave lost all IL virtue BY recent failures a. Is
evidenced by CONNER Is ELECTED BY the puolica-
ton Of my article IN the STAR of the a4th inst
did not attempt in that article to give alt the
reasons for the failure Of the cooperation store
On street. but only some of the reasons for
tne eenerai failure OF stores OF this kind ia tbs
The comments Of the STAR in relation to the
failure OF the enterprise here were correct a.
Ear as ihey went, but they extended no farther
tnan did the reasons given by me In the article
TO which they applied. l asserted that the lack
OF good management was the cause for the fall
ares in general, and of this one in partic ulsr.
did not attempt TO specify wherein the man
aFers failed to discharge their duties to the sat-
lsiaction OF all. and TO the success of the enter
prise, but the case instanced by the STAR is
went TO the store for like purpose, and met
with a similar treatment.
To any one familiar with the trade of the
store. and accustomed to being there often, il
was paten. that the manage of the store
lacked that saQriter in modo, go essentially
necessary to the successful prosecution of any
business that depends upon public patronage
pa1y OF men can hope to succeed. People are
willing, and will pay more for articles where
those " no wait upon them are courteous aud
polite.
In rhe article appearing in the STAR OF the
Sth, signed Rex" some assertions are made
in regard to the failure of Cooperation, that ia
my JUDGMENT cannot be sustained by argu-
ment "Rex' evidently does not believe IN
Representative systems" He says "As rule
10 man who is capable of managing q business
for himself would acceptsuch position" and
goes on to say that if one could be found she
would remain in such employment no longer
than he could command the necessary funds
Tor his own advancement, ichici he could not
nope TO &c under tie Cooperation system" The
italics are Trine.l
/ take issue with REX" here. believe there
are hundreds OF competent, able, honest, up
right men, who wou d be glad of such a posi-
ton. and would 40 all in their power to retain
II. Men who have not the means for prosecu-
ting business on their own account, and VINO
would do as well for their employers as for
themselves. Lucrative positions are not so
readily Stunned as "Rex" seems to believe and
he must also be aware that some of the most
successful business firms of the country owe
their prosperity, il great measure, to efficient
clerks, who have not dollar Of inteIeS in the
frm beyond their annual salaries.
And, again, why could not a man hope for
advancement under the cooperation system as
well as similar private enterprises? These as.
sociatons can afford to pay as liberal salaries
as can be secured elsewhere and why a man
cannot advance as fast toward establishing a
business for himself while engaged at a good
alary in cooperative association, as when
empioyed by private individuals, leave for
more astute reasoners TO explain; cant We
nave only TO instance the unparalleled success
of the ROchdale society In England, the Berlin
in Prussia. and in fact nearly every one estab-
ished the other side the ocean; with the Charles.
town society in this country, the numerous
building associ atoms in New York and here in
our OWE midst, all OF which are on the high
road to success, to sufficiently answer the clos
ing paragraph of the article by Rex" Coon.
Grafton riu succeed in the end, and will, in nv
judgment. Re the social lever that is to elevate
the masses. and eventually prevent the debasing
CaOpppAr,oy