The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-21

do not think that they should blame the man
uiaCturers for conducting their business in
the only way which they regard as best cal
lated to be beneficial alike to producer and
consumer.
THE sIGNERs
the resolution of last October are
Moline Plow Co., Moline
Deere g. Co, Moline.
b. ID. Buford g. Co., Rock Island.
Parlin Il Orendorf, Canton.
r. Il III. Smith & Co., Pekin.
n. ID. Brewster s. Co., Peru.
Furst g. Bradley, Mfg Co, Chicago.
ST. Joseph Mfg Co., milwaukee,.
Mierhoffer, Dent & Co.. Ottawa.
Briggs & Enock, Rockford.
II. Cumins 81 Co, Dixon.
+. X. Orvis g. Co., Dixon.
Decatur Agricultural Works, Decatur.
r. Hancy & Co., Peoria
Wier Pillow Co.. Monmouth.
Kinsey Mfg Co., Gcncseo.
j. II. Walton, Bloomington.
IIapgood ~ Co., st Louis.
Monitor Plow Co., Minneapolis.
Laraway, King IL Co., Minneapolis.
Daubcr, Mckenncy IL Co., Mankato,
Here are twenty-one manufacturing estab-
lshmcnts, each producing from 5000 to 30
600 plows annually and furnishing employ
ment which reeds fifty thousand persons. n
disarrangcmcnt Of their business would bring
great loss upon the proprietOrs and distress
upon those dependent upon them. Had they
not adopted the policy indicated in the reso-
luton they would have received no orders
from their agents for the summer of 1874 and
purchasing agents of the Oranges could have
given them no orders in December and Janu-
airy which would have warranted them in
making their usual product. They were com
PEELED by every dictate of prudence and com
mon sense to stand by their agents, and no man
Of intelligence, understanding their situation,
can blame them for not abandoning one sys-
lem until another, equally satisfactory ana
certain in its results, is presented to them.
TO ABOLISH MIDDLEMEN
would be to rcyolutionize society and drive
these men, who are now consumers of The
products!of our farms, into the role ofproduc-
crS thereby increasing the quantity OF grain
and live stocks raised, while the demand Is
lesSened 1t would be to strike a death blow
ut all the little towns and villages in the cOun-
try, leaving them no element of prosperity
save such manufacturing establishments as
they possessed 1t is true that the war at
present is directed mainly against the dealer
in agricultural implements, but every argu-
mcnt against the necessity OF his existence
applies with equal force to the grocer, the
dealer in dry goods, hats and caps, clothing,
boots and shoes, hardware, and every other
commodity sold at retail. They are all mid
dlcmcn and make Il living by selling goods
either from first hands or jobbers, who are
but higher grade of middlemen. The farm
er who demands the right to buy his agricul-
tural implements from the factories at whole
sale rates might with equal propriety, dc,
Il L = l.,. do a N
every article of food and raiment in the same
manner. This would be to
SWEEP EVERY TRADE.
from the interior of the country, leaving
nothing but large supply depots at manufac-
turing and importing points, compel every
farmer to be his own storc-keeper, or to CO
operate in the establishment of grange stores.
The latter, which would be the more conve-
nient allowing all to buy what they need,
much rs they do now, would be but establish
ing new order of middlemen to take the
place of the old. The truth is that retail
traders fill n necessary part in social economy,
and were never more useful than at present.
They have the sanction of ages and TO abolish
them would be la throw order into chOis and
change the country from nation of diverSi.
fled pursuits, composed very nearly of equal
proportions of producers and consumers,
into a
NATION OF PRODUCERS
dependent on foreign markets for the sale Of
the immensely increased surplus of wheat
corn, cattle and other staples of the farm,
The middlemen who now obtains profit sell
ing goods, anu exponds il in the necessaries
of life for the support Of his family, would
become an agriculturist, raise his own food
and aid in swelling the surplus and bringing
down the prices.-Iie must live, and this
would be his only recourse, unless the whole
sale dealers and manufacturers found il nee
esssry TO call all the middlemcn to their places
of business 10 help handle goods, in which
event the additional wages would swell the
cost of goods of all kinds from the present
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL RATES,
when the gain hoped for would be swept
away and the disarrangement OF business
pursuits, with its attendant train OF evils to