Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-05-03
Merchants Organization.

coed to organize under such system.
The following were elected officers.
John Schreiner, President; Chas. Zieg-
Ter, Vice. President; W !. E. Webb, Sec
fetarY; Il. f Mccoy, Treasured Henry
Muesse, Executive Board. year II. II.
Barber, Executive Board. years. c H.
Baxter, Executive Board, years. All
the merchants present signed the con-
stitution and bylaws, pledging their
honor rs business men to maintain aud
sustain each and every part thereof for
one year, 4 fine - provided as n pen
atty for violation OF the Glause In such
constitution, which provides that no
member of the Lancaster Branch of
THE Merchants Retail Commercial
Agency" shall give credit to person
who does not In some honorable man
ner adjust his Indebtedness with another
member Uf "The Merchants Retail
COMMERCIAL Agency. No pefsoh shall
be reported TO the members OF this or
any other branch as not entitled to cred
it. until such parson has been given a
full and fair opportunity TO 60 to the
merchant he owes aud in some way set
tie 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
Unfortunate his circumstances ia life,
IL HE Is HONEST, he Heed hass no feat.
because he can and will make known
bis 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 betons: who do not care for
their promises to pay, who 90 froth one
store to another, from one town to an
other, contracting debt where ever
they can get the chance to open an &C.
count who go it blind, never stopping
To consider how they eau pay; never
trYingto pay paying their honest debts
being the last thing they ever think of
il Is TO such persons that this system
pays attention. 1t IS no hardship to
ask men to be honestin their deals with
a merchant who trusts them. Every
farmer, every mechanic, every person
in the comm unity in which we reside
who pays his honest debts is interested
in the success of system which seeks
to make those who can pay, and wont
pay, pay their honost debts, because. it
is these who pay cash or pay their debts
promptly. 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 BEATS" Every dollar
lost by the merchant by reason Of bad
debts is indirectly loaded onto the shout
derS of those who do pay, and any sys-
TEN that forces payment by slow pay ers
and "dead beats, 'or compels them 10
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 a law unto themselves by com
bination for the protection of each other
They owe il not only 30 themselves, but
to their cash paying, prompt paying
customers, To combine together and
drive to settlement or cash that class of
persons which infest every community
who do nothing, live we'll and contri-
butte 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
MI, of this branch and of the Agency
We regret to announce to our readers
the death of Prof. w. ID. Cunning,
which occurred March 18th, at Greedy,
Colorado, whittier he had gone few
weeks before to take the passionate of the
Unitarian church in that place Prof
Cunning will be remembered by many
here by his series of lectures in
this place eight years ago, by others he
will be remembered as a personal friend.
He was a scientist and a philosopher,
a man of varied learning, in his lectures
and conversation, eloquent. inspiring
entertaining. He was well known TO
the readers of certain scientific journals
and he was the author of several works
which have had considerable circulation
This last winter was spent in Keokuk,
Iowa, where he lectured to the Society
for Ethical Culture in that place. Short
ly before his journey to Greelv, Colora-
do. word was received here of his fail
ing health and few days ago came
the announcement of his death.