Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-11-15


The arrest and conviction recently
IN Rockland Of an itinerant vendor,
will bring to nInd the strange fasei
nation that Invariably takes posses
sion Of people when an unheard of
and untried merchant, comes to
town and offers FOR sale at ruinous
prices, goods alleged to be staple
There is always natural and en-
tirely proper desire on the part of all
purchasers to get the most for their
money Perhaps it has not occurred
TO many purchasers that there is al
ways corresponding desire on the
part of the sellers to give the pur-
chaser ali they can consistent with a
reasonable profit. This is especially
true where competition IS sharp.
In community like Ellsworth and
its vicinity, dependent as ii is on il,
internal activities. the individuals
composing it are interdependen,, that
is, they must necessarily depend upon
each other to Very large degree
Money earned within the community
can ordinarily be spent to best ad-
vantage within it.
No merchant is expected to sell his
goods for what ne pays for them. He
is entitled to a profit; that is his wage
for the service he renders the pur-
chaser. This wage should be sufficient
and II, li,,,jtaJ fai
the margin of profit must necessarily
be larger than in an unlimited one
And vet it is rare that the average
country merchant charges more than
he is justified, by reason Of his limited
field. in charging
IL the long run purchasers are
better off get more for their money
oy trading at home with their own
people than by patronizing itinerant
vendors. who are often a. irrespon-
sible as their goods are bad.
The State recognizes the right that
local merchants have to protection
against this irresponsible class. The
Rockland case has brought out from
the Opinion OF that city a statemento Of
the law SO succinctly that we repro
duCe it,
The Maine Legislature, at il lat session,
passed 1t law that wa very little talked about,
and not man people know it. proyI-ion- but
it was designed To prevent very grave abuse,
and save the people from being swiudled. For
many wears, a class Of itinerant merchants have
lufc ted the state, and proved not only
Nuisance to those engaged in legitimate bust
ne4s, but have taken away lots of good money
IN exchange for goods that are worthless OF at
least OF inferior quality.
These modern Wandering Jews almost
always interruptions and untruthful, and no
body ever had 10 do with them without regret
ting it. The swindled people had no redress
Before they found that they had been inyegled
into buying -hoddy or hrummagem, the tramp
traders would have pulled up stakes and were
off out OF the state.
These fellows would generally hire vacant
-9tpre for a week fortnight and advertise
.sbanRrupt sale" damaged goods sale"
something of the sort-always something to
iess We people into the belief that they could
buy Ar much lower prices than at the stores Of
che re -u3dr dealers
or eUur-e they did nothing Of the sort. On
the ccufary they sold goods that were dear at
any i.llee and cheated right and left. These
pirati.A4 cruisers carried things with so high
hand tlat il vas found necessary to do some
thius ts protect people from their operations.
The nv of Isas. passed to protect the people /
against fti- Sind of swindllng and the mer /
hani- against the loss Of trade which follows /