Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-08-28

hsIt w ~ lay, Oconec.
J. =. James, Wilmington, N. c.
@'" i. Fisher, Charleston.
2a'r-George W: swcpsou & lady, Raj
cigh, N G.
Master Ben. McCudden, Raleigh!
~ 4. Grcen, Durham, n. G.
Andrew i. Lewis, Pcndlcon,
o.. q. Thompson, Pckcns G. II
H. s. l'orciicr, Gcleca River.
e..'..,,as ~. s.. W.,
Tho Merchants Protective Union.
NA1INts AS 70 SrANDIsa ANo CRxDJT.-
Wis gcnnally known that .hcyc arc in ,,,e c;.
Ay OF NfY Yor!; establishments 81 yl;.; ;acuo.
] scs }nstitutiona," Commercial Accu.
slcs,' os I" Mercantile Agoucice," whIu.la:c
sunpmca!o nave grca. Influence ani ac;ual
nownS ~ pvodN3"A5 OF nrtiu>lio.s.s &c Stand.
ing and credit 0. bua:ucs% ncn ,h,ou:,ilou;
tho uuion. Living ;hcr own secret agents
in ncarlycycTy city, towu, village, aul a, Il.
mostcveEy cross read in ;hc lcnsl aid bread;a
OF The whole land, these concerns nave become
intoywoyen with the whole mercantile system
Of the country. Every merchant trader,
manufacturcr and banker, whether likely or
TO; to mHkc purchase on time or to as,: for
crca;, in any Of the principal cities, is FULLY
reported at thci, hcalqu:Itci.,--h business,
lncnns, "yespcet, t,bility,' standing, arc nu,,.
lishcd, and even his private habta sro dc:sl-
cd and opeu to the inquiry Of their customers.
50 complete aod thorough Il system of espi.
oi;:a.nne II. these concerns harc everywhere cx-
tcudcd, is probably unknown oven 10 the po
lice dcpa.ln,optn Of france or Austria
So long us business shall con.inuc 10 be
ilone u2osl the credit system, Establishments
Of This sstW:c Yill probably coniin,e 70 exist,
10 some Corn Or another bus the mode IN
which they have boon conducted namely, ly
printing Books OF Ecpor:s, in which tens Of
thousands o.. b'si.,cas mcu sre ,,cuo;cti BY \
dash g., or al asteyiak Cf), III ii; crvo,2,;,oa
point (2), OF some sim;!,l' mark, a.suirying
ths; the patty 80 Indicted ~ " no. ycSomincn-
dcd for credit Or tuat the customer shu;,ld
nouiie 1T The Office --lM;,st, in view OF re.
cent decisions IN slaudc: aud libel suits, be
materially ;aotliied.
Those ostn nblishments, with thciv numerous
CLERKS standing, behind long rows Of desks, on
which lie poadcrous volumes wherein can be
learned II story, whether truc, or s,l3c, 0? cv-
cry merchant i'll any p&r; Of The country
VIII; tcycr: will probably nodiTg ileiy business,
o. rass away-thc liability, IA view Or rcceut
decisions TO slandcr suits ar,Nin:, out Of shcil
operatioua: being TOO ho"v: 20 :ncar
IN tao Merc:i:.lc Agcucy case Of Boards
Icy against. .Tappan, the plaintiff recovered
ten tilcusaad dollars; and upon motoa for
Lrisl, mede before tho Uuilcd States
|z| HI, Goa for the Sootacrn DISTRICT OF
York, the Iion. Gannc! Nelson, one of
tt,e ;.blosi Justices of the Saprcmc Court, hss
delivered an opinion denying he motion,
holding t'sa' tho pr''licity t;ive,i % i.for"a-
ion dcprccatory OF Tic sanG;ng sud
-. - II
libolous words ia 8 book, deprived the com.
ucter." He wss further o. opaion ti,,t " 10
s..mn,unity undc. tn organized system OF cs.
pion's. nd illqaiai,iou fov the benefit OF ;hc
other, exposes, e~o,n the very nature OF the
organization, to Pcryc.s;oa ans, abuse.
With the view Of obvissn, .he objection
ablo features Of the CORNER systems GONNA.
ny, with capital stock of 100000, divided
into $40 shares, has been organized and iucor-
poratcd under tile laws of the itac OF New
York, under The tile Of "Tho Merchants
\ Protective Union," Oil basis which seems
1 to be free from the evils, diilicnltcs, and en-.
barrassmcntn s.nder which those heretofore in
I existence have laborcd.
I The plnn adopted BY the Merchants Pro.
tcctiye Union," though analogous in son,c
| particulars to that Of :hc establishments shove
1 referred to, yct d.fio-s IN snoh material res,
poets as not to be ameaxblc 10 the ohiccs oas
urged agc:ns; :hcm, The m.in poi.t:s Of dif.
ferancc being .Ac iol!o Si.,s.
l First, Az >cocss.~y inforc,y,'ion a. 10 The
\ pccu:;arY responsibility or GnsiciYi condition
4 and standing OF business mon viii DO bssod
upon tho Written statements Of tho parties
lAthoinsclvc ar attainahlo--to be furnish
I&d at least whom deemed erroneous; AID,
Eayc same can not be obii,incd from the par.
E4 themselves, by rcaeon Of their declining
~ refusing to :uva:sh It, suoh information
sf~ll DO supplied by i''o vclsbo md rcspousi.
lb!o correspondents Of tho ip9sitn!,o:, whose
Anamea vi: a!:o 90 published IL i,o Mcrc;.H.
A6le Reference Reports, to be Issued ovcry six
4Xnonths. The character Of its correspondents,
9and the publicity thus given to their connco-
Fion with organization, will prove sufficient
.Euaraatoc Of the correctness OF the inforlna-
Eaon thus obtained, and The iuaticc of The sc-
8ats furnished by them. There will be moth
arg /" secret OF +" strictly conft'eni'o" il its
ifeports Of tho ratings anl markings Of the
ftdit aud capital Of bvsincas ,ncn-.'.orc will
Pe no futile prohibition to tie effect ihat such
HOfornation shall ncvci, il sny way, be com.
hnuicatcd to tho person rcported" -thorc
Mill 1,o n<Il,;n<. ho nyDonpI IN