The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-28
ARE VILLAGES NECESSARY"



\ correspondent Of the Lockport Couriey
the win County Farmers organ) thus de.
tends the villages Of the country:
To the Editors of the Courier.
The question whether villages are neccsSa
| ry may ut first thought seem useless, AS well
rs simple; but as certain extensive cuisines,
transactions are shaping themselves, the
question becomes one ofscrOus import.
Heretofore we have looked upon the settle
ment and growth of villages as sure indica.
ton OF the progress of the nation; and to the
general prosperity OfthcsG small commercial,
agricultural and manufacturing centres, as
indicating more accurately the true condi.
ton of the people than anything visible in
large cities.
1t would seem quite essential that certain
extent of agricultural territory should have
its own particular village, that shoIld be II
kind Of nucleus around and within which
should be found nearly all that Is necessary
for the use OF the farmers, and to which the
agrculturist should seek to dispose Of his
products at Il fair valuation.
The farmer, merchant mechanic and labor.
cr are mutually dependent on each other, and
the principle of reciprocity should be under
stood and praCticcd
1t Is not my desire in this article to discuss
The relations that the different branches of in
aus'Ty sustain towards each other, but sim
ply 90 enquire If villages are essential, or il
Uu the whole the farmers would do better, or
H- WE'LL without them.
10 they are usce,, appcudagcs to the coun-
49, b. iI. question Of practical utility wei
can ..y.u-c with them 20, ornaments. but i'll
'..aE aye essential in an economical mcchan.
.--. social and commercial aspect, there is
sc--a-..lg 10 be done by those who avail
ar-s-.,es Of these benefits.
. T-..s whose lands are aljuccutto village
.-. ..:. understand that their real estate in.
'.as-a .l proportion 10 It's ucarnesS to the
place --. aye sell aware that the prosperity
n. t.e village A4- much - do in making their
| land valuable. can they not IS easily per.
/ c".Te that the condition OF the place depends
/ upon the 'uppOE. il receives from those that
owe 10 It their convenience, and in Great
measure their wcalihg
/ II the different industries In a village are
! Indispensable would II not be well 10 Cncou.
rage - fraicrnal spirit in our intercourse
with each other, and strive To live and lot
| live:
The spirit OF commercial and agricultural
Jealousy that is growing up in our midst il n
blow aimed at the life of the villages, and i,
sowing the seed of the worst possible coudi
| ton of thing. 1t has already generated the
must unfair competition, and will as surely
rebound To the discontinue OF those Win
now imagine they are going to reap a golden
harvest by buying cheap and selling their
productions at high prices rs the fact that
sooner or later, scltishncss is caught in lis
own trap.
II is the mcrcst clap-trap in III" world 10
suppose that in this age OF industrial compe-
titon one honest man or firm can sell
his or her goods much cheaper than another,
or that our merchants as Il whole have not
sold their goods at Il low profit, while at the
same time they have done all they could, and
more than they ought, 10 accommodate their
customers. Had these facts been apprcciat
ed, thousands of dollars that have gone oui
of town would have been spent here, and
some failures might not have occurred.
Those who 90 away from home 10 spend
their money because they think they can dc
better elsewhere, are among those who speak
| lOudcst that our stores do not keep Il good
assortment
This is dreadful dull town, they say; I'M
Willingly forgetting how much such lnilu.
cnces as theirs help TO make it SO.
You seem to think that Villages are unnec-
essary, take your money TO other places when
you wish 10 buy goods, 90 10 Joliet or Chica-
90 when you buy for cash. Lockport il good
enough 10 get trusted in.
Now the Lockport land all village mer-
chants will sell a. low ~ honest, legitimate