The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-03-14
no MANNING BUSINESS MEN.

TO AANNlNG BUSINESS Men.
All agree that something must be
done to build up Manning, that its
volume of business must be increased.
That is all true; but who is to do it?
and how is it o.be done? Heretofore
our business men have thought it was
sufficient to buy goods and place
them on the shelves in their stores,
expecting the people to know they
had them. Occasionally begradg-
cd advertisement, with possibly the
remark. It VIII do me no good, has
been, given the county paper, and still
the merchants wonder why the trade
leaves this place. It may seem
strange, but it is true, we get more
money for advertising from Sumter
merchants than from the Manning
merchants. Is it any wonder that
the Clarendon trade is going to Sum-
sers Isit not natural for the people
TO suppose that the merchant who
makes free use of printers ink, and
tells them he has bargains for them,
is the one from whom they will buy
their goods? VIII not this advertis-
ing cause the people to talk to each
other about the merchant and place,
and then to go to that place and do
their trading? We get each year
about two or three times as much
money from the Charleston merchants
as from the Manning merchants, and
yet.our merchants complain that the
trade is going to Charleston. Our
Manning merchants say it does not
pay to advertise; and the trade is
going elsewhere: the Charleston
and Sumter merchants say it pays to
advertise in Clarendon papers; and
the trade is going to Sumter and
Charleston. Does it take a philos-
opher to read between these lines?
Again, if the merchants patronize
thar home paper, a better paper can
be published, one that viii reflect
credit on the town A shabby, sickly
looking sheet at once conveys the
isaessSsaDn that it represents a SLAB
Ssy town, doing shabby business.
The people of this county viii bear
Us out in the assertion that we have
.alwsys published paper superior to
the home encouragement given us.
But we don't want any patronage
that comes to us in the shape of char
ity. We do a great deal Of this. Ev-
ery church fair and dinner and pri-
yate entertainment expects and de-
anands US to advertise them for moth
iaG, seldom even thanking us for the
favor, and we do it willingly. We
frequently give different merchants
or other parties, two, FIVE, or ten dol
lars free advertising; we do it cheer
fully, and they take it as matter of
course. That is all right. But when
we ask q merchant for an advertise
ment, that is business, and We think
it viii benefit him and the town, and
don't like to be told, 'Tll give you
q EHle advertisement to help you on,
but I don't think it will do me any
good. Nor do we so lower our self
respect as to insist on any merchant
giving us an advertisement because
he gives one to another paper. We
suggest that one of the best ways to
hold the Clarendon trade is to adver-
tise, and thereby let the people know
thai we can meet competition, and
not TO sit quietly. by, and let other
merchants call of the trade. For ev-
cry dollar paid US, we endeavor to
make it pay back FIVE or ten fold.
Let our merchants keep good sup
ply and variety of goods, sell at
q small profit, use printers ink
freely and 1uaiciously, and they
viii find a revolution in the trade
of this place. We must make an ef-
fort TO keep the trade, if we expect
tokeep it.