The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-06-16

l.duce prices, ahu trust thd' Stg '"'e' co'
will then induce them to double your
trader" Suppose you try it. You
have cot to underseH the Stations, or
not get the trade of those neighbor
hoods. But, it is not you Mr. Mer-
chant, that is at greatest fault, for as
said all the other avocations have left
the burdens too much on your shoul
ders This property owner is ehieiest
at fault, toge Their with all the profes
sions, Office holders, etc., who live off
the community, and niggardly eontri-
butte nothing to the general building
up of their town But there Is
one fault that attaches to you, or to
some of your class, and that is they
help to smother or Kill the small me-
chanics.
Herchaat-Why, me? I'm the me-
chanics friendl True, l keep some
articles sought to be manufactured at
home, but you see the demands of our
trade require it, and l must do it 10
compete with other merchants.
CItizen.-Ah, yes, And the other
merchants do it to compete with you
Aud the mechanics say, not me, that
the other merchants sell this and that
article in his line at less than first cost,
to induce trade, to get "a man started
in IT," The cudgel serves only for
protection between the merchants,
but it deals death to the mechanic. He
says, he don't object 50 much to mer-
chants keeping goods in his line, if
they would only hold to a legitimate
profit, and not sacrifice in the line of
the mechanic, expecting to make his
legitimate profits on goods that the
mechanic does not keep.
Nerchant-Oh, yes. This is free
country; and you "citizens" who have
nothing to sell, don't know anything
about the requirements of trade. You
can afford to be enterprising, because
it don't come out of your pocket.
Property O,oaer--Yes, the mer
chants are at fault, about this matte
but cue has drifted the other along into
these lines until see DO hope for it.
Merchaat-Yes, it is easy to talk
about these things; but, don't you
think the mechanic would then have
monopoly aud charge exorbitant
prices? If he cant manufacture these
articles as cheap as we can pay freights
aud bring them here, l can't see that
it is to the interest Of the country for
him to make them here
Citizen He can, and cheaper; but,
if you make your profits off other
goods and sell his hire at less than cost,
it serves to Kill him out You mer-
chants know the prices, give your home
mechanics the same orders for the
same quality of goods you buy up the
river, or turn your customers over to
him in his line, on condition that he
does as well by him, and our town
will have three prosperous shops to
where We have one now.
Hrrchaat-But what am to make
for this sacrifice for the public good
[ want our town to prosper, but 1
want to prosper myself little as We
90 on.
CJG=ea-Youi You are to get your
profits for this sacrifice. precisely as
merchants in larger and more prosper
our towns, thatis from increased trade,
which of necessity, must come from
increased industries and population
Why, home mechanics thus encourag-
ed would attract trade for miles aud
miles, which in your line would 20
into your pocket Why, any little
Station can bring on aud sell Cinc;n
nali work, precisely as you are doing,
but If the hum of Industry is heard
10 our home shops, We have n adyant-
age beyond their reach.
Property Well, I'll 90
You all fight it out and 6x the thing
up. I've been here 30 years, aud it
has always been so. If 1 was mer-
chant I'd try to do something.
C5tizca-It occurs to me that more
than the merchant you are interested,
because your interest is fixed, and must
take the consequences of local pros
perity. The merchants can move his
goods and hunt healthier business,
but you can't move your houses and
lots
Property O'oner-WeH, but I've
been fooled by these visionary schemes
so many times. For thirty years, 1
have seen trade and business fuctua-
ted, sometimes lot would bring
81 900 and the next year there was
absolutely "uo sale"-"no sale at all.
Why, the time was, when l could sell
any of these lots for $500 We had
some live, active men here then, pub
lie spirited fellows; aud talk about
mechanics, could name number of
such establishments then, that worked
five, ten, fifteen, twenty hands, and all
prospered We had largo tobacco
trade, three banks, and so on, aud
so on.
Citi-ea-And you then ask me what
you are to do, with all this past before
you You, why join in with this
merchant and to help buildup tobacco
market; get your neighbsrs and ac
quaintauces to help that struggling
mechanic; open books for the estab
iishment of bank and get more capt.
tai concentrated here; and when you
hear this or that Que faulting his more
prosperous neighbor because he is sell
fish and don't do this and that for the
public, remind him that he himself has