The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-06-29
MERCHANTS ORGANIZATION.

On Monday evening the merchants of
Kenosha met in the Business Mems
Club Room and listened to the explana-
ton Of Mr.. H. L. Jordan of the ad-
vantages offered by organizing under
the protective system represented by
"The Merchants Retail Commercial
Agency Of Chicago, ILL.," It was voted
to proceed to organize under such sys-
tenn. The following were elected Of
fcers: Thos. Hansen, President; Albert
Zens, Vice-President G. H. Conner
mann, Secretary John B. Kupfer,
Treasurer Philip Lentz, Executive
Board, / year; w. F. Fisher, Executive
Board, 2 years; w. J. Ryan, Executive
Board, 8 years.
All the merchants present signed the
constitution and bylaws, pledging their
honor as business men to maintain and
sustain each and every part thereof for
one year. A fine is provided as pen
atty for violation of the clause in such
constitution which provides that no
member of the Kenosha Branch OF The
Merchants Retail Commercial Agency"
shall give credit to person who does
not in some honorable manner adjust
his indebtedness 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 dis
posed to do the SQUARE thing. Any
person, no matter how poor, how unfor.
tunate his circumstances in life, IF HE is
HONEST, he need have no fear, because
he can and will make known his circum-
stances in such way as will be satisfac-
tory to the person he owes. No MER-
CHANT WILL EVER CROWD A POOR MAN
WHO IS HONEST; but that class of per-
sons who do not care for their promises
to pay; who 60 from one store to an
other, from one town to another, con-
tracing a debt wherever they can get
the chance to open an account; who 60
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
persons that this system pays attention.
1t is no hardship to ask men to be
honest in their deals with merchant
who trusts them. Every farmer, every
mechanic, every person in the COM
munity in which we reside who pays
his honest debts is interested in the sue
cess of a 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 prompt
ly who furnish the money which enables
the merchant to successfully conduct
his business and carry on his books that
class of people styled slow payers and
"dead be ats" Every dollar lost by the
merchant by reason of bad debts is in
directly loaded on to the shoulders oil
those who do pay, and any system thai
forces payment by slow payers and
!" dead BEATS" or compels them to pay
spot cash or secure for everything they
purchase, unloads the percentage from
off the shoulders of the honest payins
classes. A man cannot exist in thil
world and pay nothing without proving
a direct burden on those who supply
themselves with the pecessaries of lifi
by honest purchase. The do-nothing
pay-nothing class are what this Agency
is after. The merchants have no law TO
their protection; they must be Law
unto themselves by combination for thu
protection of each other. They owe j
not only to themselves, but to their cash
paying, prompt paying customers, Il
combine together and drive to settle
ment or cash that class of persons which
infest every community who do nothing
live well and contribute nothing. Thi
system is being adopted by all the lead
ing merchants throughout the West. ]
deals honorably with both debtor an
creditor, and should have the suppor
not only of merchants, but honest COZ
sumers.
i Pay up, settle up or pay cash is tn
motto of this branch and of the Agency