Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-02-05
Borcott Is one Name or It.

business OF retail country merchants with
the much sharper competition Of to-day than
decades ago. But few, and may well say
none, but the sufferers who have had the ex-
perience, can but family realize the conflict
the retail country merchant encounters, not
to go into bankruptcy. There are unsvoid-
able expenses to carry on a respectable mer-
camille business in a country town where
you take eggs, butter, lard, poultry, etc., in
exchange for goods. You thus make two
trades for one profit and many times the
profit on this produce when the returns
come, is on the wrong side Of the ledger
with all the expenses of rents, lights, fuel,
taxes, insurance, clerk hire, losses on sales,
stock remnants and many incidentals count
ing out instead of in, is it any wonder that a
large per cent. of our merchants go to the
wall even when we'll trained and schooled in
the business? We farmers may feel and
think we have hard row to hoe to make both
ends meet when we balance up the ledger at
the end of the year.
Yes, say we think we are having hard
time of it, but what of the country merchant
who brings goods right to our doors, as it
were. who buys in large lots and cuts of a
yard of tape, calico or muslin. d pound of
tea, pepper or spice, and everything else ac-
cordingly to our request, using paper and
twine, etc., for every little five or ten cent
trade we make They take our produce,
good bad and Indifferent in exchange for
what they pay cash direct.
Shall we, as sensible farmers drive our
benefactors from our towns throughout the
land and bankrupt ourselves, as we'll as them,
by sending our money away into large cities,
centralizing instead of equalizing business
throughout our county? We can not act
more universally for ourselves than to boy
colt our merchants among us and wither our
towns into decay, which in such event, effect
must follow cause, and we will have to pay
all the taxes these merchants and tradesmen
now pay their full share, tightening our bur-
dens of which we are all complaining now.
Would it not be one of the most unwise
things we could enter upon, to reduce the
capital of our towns and cake the entire bur-
den, and increase it largely, upon ourselves I?
We already complain of our taxation to keep
the wheels of government rolling; then why
cut of our nose to spite our facep The fact
Il ISs tuo ldruloTS as d CldSS are WOe1ully ana
entirely ignorant of the cost of running mer-
| camille business.
Had the writer not had some experience in
trade years ago, might have been one max
| ing war upon the merchants, undertaking to
compel them to let us run their business or
drive them from our midst, which, if success
full, will end in our defeat of greatest pros
perity.
No business can be carried on and sustain
| itdnlf n aho
ses. To-day, as have already said, with the
sharp competition in trade it is only the
merchant who can do large trade on the
narrow margins Now brother farmers, don't
let ,us go wild and ride our hobby horse to
death and kill ourselves in the fall. While
we complain, we would not dare exchange
our position and value of our farms with any
country merchant in Henry county. A little
schooling of this sort wo1ld soon cure the
rampant raider of the present attack upon
our country merchants who are barely living
by the skin of their teeth.
L do not doubt the sincerity of my brother
farmers in their belief that they could run
merchants business at less average per
cent than is now being done by those who
are selling US goods; the trial will be all they
need to dismount that horse which is a myth
in fact, instead of reality.
| What farmer in Henry dare to-day, ex-
change his farm with comfortable buildings
stock and all the paraphenalia, worth Sc, 600,
| $4,000 or $4,000 with any merchant in the
county and swap it off for the same value of
| goods at wholesale cost, and enter the mer-
camille business with all the dangers and un-
certainties of trade? Where is he? Who is
he? Don't all speak at once for you might
get snapped up so quick it would make you
dizzy.
Now, brother farmers-with my own ex-
perience and in all candor-think twice be-
fore you make an effort to unwittingly de-
stroy the home trade and home market you
now enjoy, with the many blessings incident
to keeping all the capital possible among us.
Let us be wise and increase the value of our
farms and farm property by encouraging
every class of business necessary to COM
mon people,to settle among us to be one of us
instead of boycotting their business and
driving it away, thus making ourselves suf-
ferers by our selfish, foolish and ignorant
acts. We are not educated outside of our
own dooryard and know nothing of the
pangs and pains of merchants.
Do you read the papers If 80, your testi
mony will be that not one farmer to ten mer-
chants go into bankruptcy. Let us take a
dispassionate view of these things and weigh
them in the balance and see who tips the
beam. Let US get together and learn of each
other the best modes of farming; the best
stock to raise; modes of feed, and care to
bring to earliest maturity, at least expence;
the best tools to use for best results with the
least time and labor; let us look we'll at home
and never jeapordize our own business and
prosperity by the mistaken idea and jealousy
that our merchant, our mechanic or trades
men are wallowing in luxury and riches
when in fact the ledger balances against
them at the years end The general farmer
has days of leisure where the merchant ha
hours to spare. Not a cent comes unless he
is on tap ready at all times to wait upon GUS
toners, while the farmers stock and crops
are always growing into money. Don't let
us be jealous of those with whom we would
not think of exchanging places. Let us have
little charity for our fellows who dare take
the risk of uncertainty of trade and with a
golden spirit, mutually help each other.
Now I repeat, don't be hasty; don't let US
be so selfish that we would build ourselves up
on the downfall of another, and especially
don't let us beat ourselves in trying to run
the business of others, spending our time and
neglecting our own. II we will have con-
veniences at our doors we must pay a reason
able compensation for them. If too short
sighted we may have the elephant on our
hands and nobody to help US. False ambi-
tion leads man astray, and too many are
seeking to be at the head and pick the tallest
plumb and are never satisfied.
welfare of all departments of legitimate busi-
ness will say to all, slook before you leap"
FARMER OF HENRY COUNTY.
W-It is reported that on hearing of the
defeat of the cloture resolution President
Harrison gave way to most unseemingly