The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-06-06
SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1885.

We have often heard it said THAT
any man who will attend to his own
business will have enough to dO,'
and we respectfully commend this old
adage to the anonymous scribbler,
signing himself Oakland" in last
weeks Democrat, who in casting his
"immature reflections before the pub
lie" undertakes to find fault with our
merchants because, forsooth, they see
proper to conduct their business to
suit themselves. 1.-THE charge that
this is the dearest country town in
the United States has gone out" says
this scribber. Who made the charge?
If the charge has been made who
has circulated it? Such scrihblers as
"Oakland," who, having little or no
lazy or incompetent to attend to it if
they have, take it upon themselves
to manage the affairs and business in
terests of sour merchants" This
correspondent seems to have an idea
that, if the merchants of our town
would lay aside the knowledge which
they have acquired by many years
experience in business and adopt his
peculiar notions. they would thereby
enhance the value of property, in
crease the population and add to the
prosperity of the town. All the as
sumptions and recommendations of
scribbler "Oakland" are based upon
the statement that "our merchants
have everything up to the highest
notch" This statement is untrue to
start with, and is simply SANDER
upon men who have been engaged in
business here for many years, and
who have always enjoyed the conf
dence Of the community. 1t is our
"deliberate opinion" that if all such
meddlers in other peoples affairs as
scrfbbler "Oakland" would betake
themselves to "Hutton's, or Terra
Alta" or some other place where
they would be allowed to regulate the
business of other people, the commu-
nifty would be better off.
We are surprised that the DemOcrot
gave space for such letter as the one
referred to, because it is request to
the customers of our merchants to go
to Hutton's, Terra Alta, Mountain
Lake, st. George, or anywhere in the
United States except Oakland, if they
want to buy cheap goods. Now, if
this letter has any effect upon the
readers of the Democrat it certainly
would be to the disadvantage and
against the business interests of all
the people of Oakland, whether mer-
chants or not. We are much more
surprised that the Democrat editOri
ally endorses the communication as
containing great deal of truth. The
editor eagerly seiZes the opportunity
to add the weight of his influence
and wisdom to this wanton attack
upon the business men of Oakland.
The editor is right, however, in sup.
posing that any suggestions from
him "would prove mere whistling
down the wind" The people of this
community have learned to value
suggestions from such quarter at
their real worth, and to look with
suspicion upon any statement which
is endorsed as thruthful by the Dene-
ocrot.
But apart from the baselessness of
the charge, the unthruthfulness of
the general statement and the vindic-
tiveness toward a class of respectable
men, we submit that it is none of this
scribbler's business whether the mer
chants charge large or small profits.
Ifthe Democrat and its anonymous
writers cannot buy goods at such
prices as they desire in Oakland it is
their right to 90 elsewhere, but it is
neither their right nor privilege to
make such attacks upon our mer-
chants and through them upon the
whole business community. In the
meantime the merchants would be
very grateful if Mr.. "Oakland" or the
Democrat would kindly consent to
give them his name.