The morning news., 1889-05-08


exchange for all IA rest to fishing or hunting,
or 70 herding cattle ID sheen. or tilling tbs
sou. or Wor King at the handicraftsman' trade,
i ne q ss sseFtneiess as necessary - the preced
lng, u not lower orders OF Development as they
are 70 him What they would do without him
- sncnstfated by ths fact that, while these
ciasses DO exis. without the merchant. not .
single instance can be found in the history Of
al progress where the blessings OF civilization
@hase @ ever crowned the efforts OF people with
out merchants
RESULT OF NECESSITY.
/ am unable to tell you who was the first
merchant, but whoever he may have been, and
Nhefever he may have cOmmenced business he
WAS the result Of the necessities Of other classes
VINO preceded him. IL would be OF greater in
terest 10 US to know what merchant first EN-
Rloyed drummer. and who that drummer was
1he sources OF information at my command
are silent upon this point, which strengthens
the conviction already formed, that historians
nave failed 20 record much that was Of interest
III the progress Of the world.
- Perhaps tie original representative of this
great force In modern trade, with characteristic
nodesy, hesitated to disturb the sleepy meth
ods or interfere with the long profits Ia 70 gue
which fie1 the world at his coming II be was
typical representative of his accomplished
successor OF to-lay, the merchant with hides
for sale and shoes 10 buy discovered IN him the
evidence Of u coming revolution, the effects OF
which we are now experiencing
IL the ineH;hant Is necessity IN all elemen-
tary development, the drummer is the result OF
bodied IN the axiom Of Quick sales and small
profits"
The relationship OF travelling statesmen to EN-
pieytrs like the relationship OF the employed
70 employers everywhere, Is one of mutual in
terest, mutual dependence; and, to the intelli-
genee TIE travelling men as q class, must be
attributed the manner In which they recognized
tnls iAct IN their earliest organization.
THE SALARY QUESTION
The chief concern OF all the organizations IN
h,a thArs Of rrkl
pioyed for wages or salaries, has been, as q
rule, the enhancement OF salaries Tley have
looked alone. In many cases, 10 the interest OF
the employed. and have been guided In their
judgment and actions by personal consldera-
lions, and in many cases, have lost sight OF
their own interest through failure 70 consider
the conditions by which employers were sur
II was left TO the Travellers Protective Asso-
citation to break the record in this respect, for
th- first work 10 which it addressed itself as an
orGanllation was the relaction Of hotel and
railroad cnarges, which their employers hal to
pay, Outside the work of eevating the standard
OF their profession, and the social pleasures of
their annual and other reunions the chief end
aud aim OF the Southern Travellers Association
is the promotion Of their own int by pro
noting the interests OF their employers.
In this work they are eutitled to the moral
and material support Of all the interests they
represent. The two combined are controlling
our internal rfade. This state OF affairs Is a
revolution Of the commercial methods OF
twenty-five years ago Unless tho evils Of this
system are corrected land, like all systems, IL
has its evils, II will be supplantse In the near
future, just as 1t has taken the place OF the old
system OF trips 70 mTket at long Intervals aAd
the purchase OF goods by personal inspection
tx xeessive competition and cheap credits are the
chie' evils Of this system.
CAPITAL AND EMPLOYMENT THREATENED.
They ara not only threatsnlng the capital OF
tn joDber aud the permanency OF your employ
ment; but are DESTROYING ths capital and bust
ness 1. o. solvent men throughous th9 country.
solicited 10 order goods far beyond their re-
quirements, aud for which taey cannot pay.
Hence the appalling array Of liabilities and
falling firms When merchant fails
with liabilities exceeding his assets by
more than the yearly amount or
his businsss-buyer, salesman and Jobber
alike are TO blame. The whole system OF
credits throughout this state needs readjust-
ment, and IL Is within the power of the Iner-
chants, through the co-oDe raton Of their sales.
men, TO give eve<y man all the credit 10 which
he IL entitied without giving him any more.
They should refuse 10 give hin more, and
whenever credits are restricted to proper basis.
and men VINO are merchandising and farming
without capital are eliminated as the chif
element of hazard il business, our ira ie will b.
more legitimate, and can thea bs carriel on
safely and successful " upon smaller margins
OF profit.
Tnere are special practices which are en-
pioyed for the purpose of securing trade which
are dishonorable, aud should not be tolerated
by the travelling mems Organization or the mer.
chants or manufacturers OF the country.
THE sHscIAL PRICE EVIL.
The most reprehensi sibe which has come to my
knowledge ls that OF special prices on staple
articles to induce cancellation OF orders placed
at legitimate prices, and tleir transfer To "A
oushwhackiuR solicitor You should black list
aly mao found guilty Of this practice, and re-
port it TO his employer, and. II the latter fails
TO discharge him, the fact should be published
to the trade.
The men who are constantly on the road. and
in contact with every phase OF trade, through
travelling solicitors, are too we'll Informed with
reference to these and other evils TO render it
ne ,essary for rne to specify or enargp upon
them. II employers will cooperate with their
statesmen In an organized capacity, 10 is per.
fectly feasible TO establish standard which
will elevate the oae aud protect the other II
this Is not done, the whole system will be sup
planted, however firmly IL may now appear to
be established. The travelling uien are moving
In the mater. and their employers cannot be
too strongly urged to give them that moral and
material support through which they are GER
tain to succeed 10 improving the present situa-
tion.
II the system of local travelling solicitors, in
tiInately known To us, has promoted dangerous
comps ition, and. il within a certain range OF
Transactions the men thus employed and tneir
employers, may, by proper efforts correct its
evil, there are other conditions involved in the
general question Of competition for which they
are beyond their control
The travelling salesmen and merchants repre-
sented here are englg d In distributing trade,
and the retailer, who purchases his goods from
them, supplies the hnsl demand, that of con
sumption. II competition In this important
department Of trade Is sharp. and even danger
Gus, the contest is still more decided when we
reach our sources OF supply.
COMPETITION AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY
Competition is the unknown quantity, the
undeilne force in mordern trade. While IL
may De influenced, 1T Is subject to no rule Srgu-
lated by no law aud cannot he controlled in
every cas-, even by that modern horror Of 80
many paopie-the combination or trust
With many OF our people the idea prevails,
that unrestricted and oven ruinous competition
is an unqualified blessing, and that any com
hlnation TO restrict u ia crime against the
rights and interests OF the public. NO one
just as unwtse to forget the evils Of rampant
aud unsafe competition" When monopoly ex-
torts from the public abnormal profits upon
sucn monopoly, IL should be destroyed. When
competition r0hs legitimate Investments Of fair
returns in the shape Of dividends; or as In many
cases IN our recent history, and even at pres .nt
involves a loss upon such investme ITS, II should
BE- checked, and, so far as am concerned, | am
in favor OF such laws, If need be- as a neces-
sary 10 accomplish the destruction OF the one, OF
OF Combinations or trusts TO cheek the other.
At this point the question Of the times presents
itself, and il cannot be solved successfully
wisely, unless the conscience OF the country
shall direct In the formation OF an intelligent
public sentiment. which will discriminate be-
and combinations 70 preserve capital from an-
Inhalation.
THE TRUST QUESTION.
Tho v,nhiic 10 not In The y,rar,atg,,,