Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-18
LOYALTY TO HOME INTERESTS.

The REcoRD-UNIoN has always been
firm believer in the permanency of the
trade of Sacramento. Seventeen years
ago, when the trade area Of the city was
very marrow and the gross sales amounted
to less than ST., 100000 a year, this journal
began the publication of carefully-gathered
statistics, showing the growth of the COM
merce of the city and forecasting its great
enlargement. We followed up the Stats
teal compilations for ten years, until the
trade area had expanded so as to take in
the whole of Northern California and
Southern Oregon, the transmontane region,
nearly all of Central California, very much
of the south and the southern Territorial
regions, and until the aggregate sales had
reached nearly S60,000,000 annually, ex-
elusive of the fruit shipments.
1t was then no longer necessary to con-
tinue the task, since the people had be-
come thoroughly well informed upon the
subject, and the advantages Of this point
were universally conceded as a trade CEN
ter. But it is profitable to look at the
conditions of to-day and ascertain if the
forecasts have been at all deceptive
Diligent inquiry develops that while
there have been years of quiet business,
now and then one of retrogression, and
some months of positive stagnation, the
whole period of the past seven years
IL. &lat
Sacramento has not been decreased, but
has increased. Three important facts are
discovered that should be pondered by all.
Sacramento has had no commercial panic :;
in proportion to the business done and the
commercial interests involved, she has had
fewer failures than any rival community /;
her trade area has not only not narrowed,
but it has steadily expanded, and the vol
ume of business has correspondingly aug
mented.
These facts in themselves are proof of
the proposition that this city enjoys pecu-
liar advantages for commerce that are
permanent, not subject to serious fuctua-
tions, and that make the city permanent
trade center. If any have had doubts
upon that head they should consider that
the city is thrown into the closest and
sharpest competition with one Of the
largest and most progressive commercial
emporiums of the United States; that in
no line of business whatever has she had a
free field; that for all she has and claims
she has had TO do battle with powerful
competitor upon the finest harbor of the
world, and commercially related with
every part of the globe. Had we not nat
have given us the success attained. In
addition to competition of natural order,
our merchants and people have had to
contend also with the disposition of CAPT
tai and business ability so soon as fedged
here to drift to the great city so short a
distance away. 1t is phenomenal, indeed,
that city of the Importance of Sacra-
mento should maintain herself as a CON-
mercial center in the teeth of SO powerful
competitor as San Francisco.
That she has done so, and is now assured
of a commercial prosperity that cannot be
shaken, should inspire with confidence, we
repeat, any who doubted the permanency
of our interests, and should renew and en-
ergize the loyalty of our people to our own
business houses. There is an oblig .tion
upon every business man residing in and
deriving his income from a city, to trade
with it, TO the exclusion of all others, pro
vided it offers him equal advantages as q
rival market. Professor Sumner put il
once, that every man is in debt to the town
in which he lives, and must remain 8
debtor That is TO say, reciprocity be
tween citizens is an obligation that car
never be fully discharged. If we would
have our business interests, therefore, still
more advanced, our commercial prosperity
still more augmented, we must do bushes.
with our own. 1t is discouraging to the
home merchant who offers to his neigh.
bors the same facilities to trade with him
and upon as economical a plane as are
proposed by rival, to see the neighbor
lay in his supplies in the competing mar
ket.
The rule that we claim should prevail
for our own city, we do not limit TO that
city. 1t applies with equal force to all
towns. Support your own merchants
and producers" is our advice 10 the people
of every town in California. Yoa cannot
expect capital and energy to contribute to
the upbuilding of your locality, if you
neglect or refuse TO contribute reciprocally
to it. The disposition TO float 10 the larger
market all recognize; it is human nature
perhaps, but at the same time it is a dis
position that discouSages the home market.
and it is good ore therefore to disooun-
tenance. There is no luminosity to rival
markets ia the advice 90 prefer our own
ii is simply the common sense of home in
terests. We are firm believers in the
value to city of the partisan friendship
Of its people. Chicago, Kansas City and
St. Louis are striking examples of the
worth to place OF the steadfsst faith of
its people in it, and their open and practi-
cal works for the city of their home
What we need to do in Sacramento,
therefore, more than we have ever done
before, is to trade at home to the fullest
extent possible, if for no other than
selfish interest; to advertise abroad all that
we may the positive advantages of the
place, that others may be induced TO trade
with our dealers; 10 indulge in no exagger-
ations nor rose-colored pictures, but to pre-