Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-03-02
Merchants. Organization.


of Mineral Point met at the city coun-
ell room and listened to the explain
alton of Mr.. Dodge Of the advantages
offered by organization under the pro-
tective system represented by The
Merchants Retail Commercial Agency
of Chicago, H." 1t was voted to
proceed to organize under such system
The following Were elected officers:
R. J. Penhallegon, ST., president; J.
A. Spratler., vice president; W. ].
Penhallegon. secretary; John Horn, Jr.,
Treasurer; p Allen, ST., executive
board, one year: n. T. Martin, execu-
tive board, two years; Jos. Deller, eK-
ecutive board, three years.
All the merchants present signed the
constitution and bylaws, pledged their
and sustain each and every part there
of for one year. A fine is provided as
a penalty for violation of the clause in
such constitution, which provides that
no member of the Mineral Point
Branch of 1.-The Merchants Retail
Commercial Agency" shall give credit
to a person who does not in some
honorable manner adjust his indebted
ness with another member of "The
Merchants Retail Commercial Agency"
No person shall be reported to the
members of this or any other branch
as not entitled to credit, until such !
person has been given full and fair |
opportunity to 60 to the merchant he
owes and in some way settle up his
Indebtedness. This system cannot |
work hardship on any person who is
disposed to do the SQUARE thing. Any
person, no matter how poor, how unfor-
tunate his circumstances in life, IF HE
Is HONEST, need have no fear, be
cause he can and will make known
his circumstances in such a way as
will be satisfactory to the person he
owes. No MERCHANT WILL EVER
CROWD A POOR MAN WHO Is HONEST;
but that class of persons, who do not
care for their promises to pay; who 60
from one store to another, from one
town to another, contracting debt
wherever they can get the chance to
open an account: who go it blind,
never stopping to consider how they
can pay; never trying to pay-paying
their honest debts being the last thing
they ever think oft is to such per-
sons that this system pays attention.
1t is no hardship to ask men to be
honest in their deals with a merchant
who trusts them. Every farmer, every
merchanic, every person in the com
munity in which we reside who pays
his honest debts is interested in the
success Of d system which seeks to
make those who can pay, and won't
pay, pay their honest debts, because it
is those who pay cash or pay their
debts promptly, who furnish the money
which enables the merchant to success
fully conduct his business and carry
on his books that class of people styled |
slow payers and dead BEATS" Every |
dollar lost by the merchant by reason |
of bad debts is indirectly loaded onto |
the shoulders of those who do pay, and
any system that forces payment by
slow payers and dead BEATS" or COM
pels them to pay spot cash or secure
for everything they purchase, unloads
the percentage from off the shoulders
of the honest paying classes. A man
cannot exist in this world and pay
nothing without proving a direct |
burden on those who supply themselves
with the necessities of life by honest
purchase. The do-nothing, pay-nothing
class are what this Agency is after. |
The merchants have no law for their
protection; they must be law unto
themselves by combination for the
protection of each other. They owe it |
not only to themselves, but to their |
cash paying, prompt paying customers,
to combine together and drive to |
settlement or cash that class of per-
sons which infest every community |
who do nothing, live well and contrib
ute nothing. This system is being |
adopted by all the leading merchants
throughout the west. 1t deals honor
ably with both debtor and creditor and
should have the support, not only of
merchants but honest consumers.
Pay up. Settle up or pay cash is the
motto Of this branch and of the
Agency.