Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-02-01
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION,
Organization of q Protective Asso
citation by tho Business Men
Of Austin, j..

Of Austin. -.
On January "a, 1883, the merchants of
Austin met in the City Council rooms and
listened to the explanation of Mr.. Dodge
of the advantages offered by organization
under the protective system represented
by 1.-THE Merchants Retail Commercial
Agency of Chicago, Ill" 1t was voted
toproceed to organize under such system.
The following were elected officers:
w. w. Engle, President; W. NJ. Roberts
vice president;'C. l. Johnson, secretary;
T. F. Leonard, treasurer; r. o. Hall,
executive board, year; F. P. Mcbride,
executive board, 2 years; s. B. Wood
sum, executive board, years.
All the merchants present signed the
constitution and bylaws, pledglng their
honor as business men to maintain and
sustain each and every part thereof for
one year. A fine is provided as a penalty
for violation of the clause in such consti-
tuition, which provides that no member
Of the Austin Branch of ''The Merchants
Retail Commercial Agency" shall give
credit to person who does not in some
honorable manner adjust his indebted
ness with another member of The Mer-
chants 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 20
to the merchant he owes and in some way
settle up his Indebtedness This system
cannot work a hardship on any person
who is disposed to do the SQUARE thing.
Any person, no matter how poor, how
unfortunate his circumstances in life, IF
HE Is HONEST, he need have no fear, be
cause he can and will make known his
circumstances in such way as will be
satisfactory to the person he owes. No
MERCHANT WILL EVER CROWD APoOR MAN
WHO IS HONEST; but that class of persons,
who do not care for their promises to pay,
who go from one store to another, from
one town to another, contracting debt
wherever they can get the chance to open
an account; who 20 it blind, never stop.
ping to consider how they can pay; never
trying to pay-paying their honest debts
being the last thing they ever think Of
1t Is to such persons that this system pays
attention. 1t is no hardship to ask men
to be honest in their deals with mer-
chant 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
success of system which seeks to
make these who can pay, and won't
pay, pay their honest debts, because
1t is those who pay cash or pay their
debts promptly, who furnish the money
which enables the merchant to success
fully conduct their business and carry or
his books that class of people styled slow
payers and "dead BEATS" Every dollar
lost by the merchant by reason of baC
debts is indirectly loaded onto the shout
ders of those who do pay, and any sys
tenn that. forces payment by slow. payer
and dead BEATS" or compels them t
pay spot cash or secure for everything
they purchase, unloads the percentage
from off the shoulders of the honest pay
ing classes. A man cancot exist in thi
world and pay nothing without proving
direct burden on those who supply
themselves with the necessities of lif,
by honest purchase. The d6-nothlnl
paY-nothing class are what this Agency
is after. The merchants have no law To-
their protection; they must be law un
to themselves by combination for thu
protection of each other. They owe i
not only to themselves. but to their casl
paying, prompt paying. customers, tt
combine together and drive to settlement
or cash that class of persons which infes
every community who do nothing, liv.
well and contribute nothing. This sys.
TEN is being adopted by all the leadi nl
merchants throughout the west. 1t deals
honorably with both debtor and creditor
and should have the support, not only o.
merchants but honest consumers.
Pay up. Settle up or pay cash is the
motto of this branch and of the Agency
TEMPERANCE LECTURE.