Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-10
Merchants Organization.

The retail merchants Of Napoleon met in
the city council rooms Thursday evening
April 3, and listended to an address By O. B.
Mcdonald, of the Merchants Retail Com
mercial Agency, 50 Dearborn St., Chicago,
Ills. The system in use by this agency has
for its purpose the protection of retail mer-
chants. The legality, practicability and re-
suits of the system we're folly explained. Af-
ter consideration, q motion was made that
those present proceed to organize the Napo-
leon branch of such Agency. The motion
prevailed by unanimous vote. The follow
ing were chosen as officers: Fl. @. Grosch-
ner, president; Henry Norden, vice-president,
G. F. Clement, secretary aud treasurer.
J.. B. Couch, John Thiesen, F. G. Fisk, Geo,
Rohrs and 8. Bernstein, EI. Board.
This agency uses no dishonorable means to
force collections or settlements, but the mer-
chants propose to exercise their legal right to
refuse credit to person who gains the repu-
tation ofnot treating member of the agency
honorably.
There is no law compelling merchants
to sell their goods on credit. There is
no law forbidding merchants refusing credit
to any person they see fit, and when mer-
chant sells his goods on credit it is as an ac-
commodation to the consumer, and if such
consumer has no appreciation of the favor ex-
tended and willfully neglects to make rea-
sonable and honorable adjustment of his in
debtedness, then he should be compelled to
pay as he buys. 1t is better for him and
much more profitable for the merchant.
Many a poor worthy man has been refused
credit for the necessities of life because of
the merchants unpleasant experience with
bad debtors, but this system will tend to OBJ
viate all that, because the man who does re-
spect his credit will be known and have stand
ing among merchants, while the ''dead beat"
and others of his kind will also be known to
the members of this agency and be absolute
ly refused credit; no matter if he moves to
another town or State his reputation as poor
pay will follow him and the merchants In such
new place of residence will also refuse him
credit. This agency issues regular and le-
gal Bi-Monthly Abstract of unsettled &C.
counts. Each member agrees to forfeit twen-
ty dollars to his branch as penalty, in case
he extends credit to person whose unsettled
account appears in the abstract and no ac-
count can appear therein until the debtor has
had full and fair opportunity to go to the
merchant he owes and in some way arrange
such indebtedness. The man who can pay and
won't pay and the man who cannot pay, but
will not go to the mercant and state his con-
dition and make effort to arrange, is the per-
son this agency is after.
This agency does not interfer with the cred
it of men who deals honorably, no matter il
they are slow; neither does it in any way
regulate prices. Its sole object is to compel
men to be honest with merchants or to pay
spot cash for goods purchased. Some.
thing of this kind has been needed for lone
time and this system will work. "In combl-
nation there is strength" The members have
the success or failure of this system in theil
own hands. Wherever merchants have prop
erly combined, the system has proven grea
success. The west is being carefully covered
by this agency, and the merchants in al
small towns are visited the solicited to Sioir
the county branch. -----u--.-.
9: F. CLEMENT.