Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-13
TEN PER CENT ABOVE CesT.
A Practical, Iiastasss View Of the
grange store system.


fe the Union and American.
met a rustic chap, an old rrrry OF mine,
in the street, straistt as pine tree. His
head pass nedecked with an ancient, FORM
less plug hat, a kind of undistinSnishekFs
mass. After we had sslnsrA enc another
with due decosrn., ne asked me, with a
shrewd twinkle of the eye, where the
Grangers' hat store was. | buttonholed
him at once and made him lend me his ear.
| said: Friend Granger, have a word or
two 10 say to you. The rule IN your
Grange is to keep sharp look out and buS
cheaply. 'SSaving is getting.' is an old
time proverb. | admire YOUR pluck in any
thing for bargains but 10 hope TO realize
this grand end glorious purpose BY careful
y choosing particular Places of
trade for various goods, OF to get
your taer1handise at 10 Der cent
above cost, is chimerical conception. And
why so? Because no honest trzaer can
carry on business Under such stipulated
terms. TiAe travelling expenses of the mer-
chant 10 and fro, transportation Of goods,
insurance, clerks and accountants hire,
license, rent, capital stock employed in bus
mess and incidental losses will amount
from s to 10 and even IL per cent, aceor1i-
ing TO the amount OF sales made by his
house. Many staple Commodities are sold
at cost or al trihing advance from cost as
a catch-penny. Can a merchant, without
great injury to himself, offer you goods ct
10 per cent above original cost. when they
run up just as seen as they are laid
down ca the counters, to that fig
ure3 a merchant who is foolish enough
TO carry on business in that sort of way,
will topple down hill and never stoe Wfitii
he reaches the bottom. This Is the plain
reason why sonte 'f our respectable mer-
chants refused ositively ID conclude ten
per cent above Gust LIvsaty. Candidly, ask
you, why should merchant invest capital
in goods, sell at ten per cent above cost,
and be bothered with the changes OF pfice
lists, and uncomfortable evtrs in CONNER
cial matters, when he can lend out his capt.
tai any time at ten per cent interest on
seund real estate security?
1t is quite laughable, friend Granger, to
notice the way IN which your merchant is
tranSacting business with you. sfh fe-
liably informed that there Is an under
standing between you and him TO select
the gUOas without asking their price.
What praiseworthy confidence, a product of
the golden age! Is that age reappearing, /
wonder? The obvious reason is that 3
present customer, who il not L member of
your fraternity,is to be kept in total darkness
concerning the favorable prices you are
privileged TO pay by mutual agreement, SO
that the trader may squeeze a better profit
out of those who are not members of your
order
Friend Granger man OF toiL Of simple
habits, of tried rectitade, do YOU not feel
psng Of shame 10 give yourself up 10 sGch
alscreditable proceedings aSainst fellow
man, perhaps poor mechanic, who, as he
is not an agriculturist, is shut out from
your Order? His money is as hard-earned as
you S; why should ne pay more than you
do for the necessaries of lifeS Hyou really
want to make some effort to better yUuf
condition, make farming a success. Open
in every county an agricultural institution,
where the ART OF theoretical and practical
farming and chemistry is taught, so that your
sons may know precisely how to prepare
the soil, how to choose fitting seeds and
plants, understand the rotation of crops
the fattening of cattle. the management of
the dairy, etc, according 10 the rules and
principles Of science. Such institution
weuld be a source of inexhaustible wealth
10 yOu and your pOsterity.
Here my voice failed, aud my h5Tangue
closed, too. Ny rustic friend shook hands
with me, gave nie sundTy elbow pokes, ac-
knowlcdged that l was about right, went
Into a half-a-dOllar store and bought a fifty
cent wool hat with a broad hrila. width
first saw the light sometime in A. d. 1860.
- I. =