Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1875-08-14


effect it ?" We rcriy that we will do
it by simply keeping out OF debt As
TO the first method, other avocations
and other professions have, time and
again, by cooperative action, forced Il
certain price for their labors. Manu-
facturcrS, railroad and steamship COM
panics, merchants, lawyers, doctors
and mechanics have united, each with
othcrs engaged III the same calling.
and by persistent cooperative effort,
they have succeeded in debating their
own terms. Patrons of ltusI,andry
can do the same, If they will only
keep clear vf drhr.
Ia the remarks we are making, we
wish 1t distinctly understood that we
war upon no class of men. We ad-
wise no man to avoid the payment Of
debts already contracted II Won
owe Your merchant, and The debt is Il
just one, go forward like a man and
pay 1t, bat don't go il debt any more.
That is what is hurting YOU now.
That is what is crushing YOUR man-
hood out OF vOu As long as YOU
are III debt, you are the vciicst slaves
i'll existence.
Patrons, would urge upon vou
to-day system Of rigid ecuuomy.
Deny yourselves. Buy nothing.
What you canaot make at home do
without until You shall have paid oil
every cent you owe. Then, and not
till then, will you be frcemen. When
once out of debt, keep out As it is,
your crop is CONSUMED and its pro-
cceds all gone before it is made Your
grow ing cotton does not belong 10
you. 1t belongs to your merchant.
How are you u control it! How
are YOU To take advantage of the cot
ton market! .! Your crop is As much
beyond your control as if You had
never planted it. But SUPPOSE every
cotton growing granger throughout
the country was out of debt, will any
man tell NE that, by cooperative
action, we could not control the cot
ton market No one who values his
reputation as u sensible man, will dare
make the assertion.
/ .. Can cooperation on the part of
agricu!turalists force reduction of
prices of such articles as they are
compelled to purchase! Our remarks
upon the former proposition will ap-
ply to this also 1t will require but
little argument to prove that u class
OF m,n, banded together and acting
in concert, can, with the actual cash
in hand, force reasonable reduction
in the price of goods. 1t makes but
little difference, however, 10 the farm
er, whether he pays a low or more
advanced price for goods, if he himself
is made tie gaincr by the increased
profit. The saAc result will be
reached i'll either case. make this
rema!h, brcau-c have bad presented
to me recently plan Of cooperation,
adopted aul in u.,c for many years in
Manchester and elsewhere in Englanr,
Wh.cE has been Il ended with as,uu-
ishing results do not refer to it as
reco.a:.rniins lis adoption here.
am not prepared to say how ii would
answer our purposes. But | will cX-
plain il as nearly as can as some
thing interesting, and for purpose
which | shall state 10 you presently.
Some years ago, few poor weav-
crs of Ruchdale came together, and
combined their small earnings, for the
purpose vi supplying themselves with
the neceSsaries Of life, upon such
terms and in such manner us that the
large profits which they were compel
led TO pay for supp'is. over and
above first cost, should be made TO
inure to their benefit. They cstab-
lished at first litlle shop, with an
insignificant capital, upon an entirely
new plan; and 50 marked has been
their success and 50 rapid their
growth, that they have now about
one thousand stores established
throughout the great centres Of trade
in England-cach having started on
a capital of only about two hundred
dollars-and their annual income is
to-day estimated to amount TO near
| two millions of dollars Time will
not permit me TO enter here into full
detail of their plan of operations, nor
do L consider myself sufficiently in-
formed upon the subject to do SO.
The general outline, however, | be-
lieve to be about this: a store is
started upon u paid up capital of-we
will say-two hundred dollars, which
is invested in goods The shares put
at-say-iive dollars each. One of
their number is selected and placed in
charge. \ committee of their own
number is appointed, who have imElc-
dia.e supervision of the enterprise
They do not propose TO underscll
others engaged in like business, but
at about the same rates. They First
determine certain per cent. profit,
with which society will be satiicd,
which-for the sake of illustration
we will say is twenty per cent. per
annum, or five per cent. per quarter.
They guaranty. in every Instance, the
guality of their goods, and sell inva-
riably, either to their own members or
to outsiders, for cash. When party
makes purchase, they hand to him
check indicating the amount be has,
On that day.. paid for goods, and the
purchaser is directed to come forward
at the end of the quarter, and present
this check This is done in every
instance, whether the purchase bc
large or small, or whether the pur-