The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-08
GOODS AND


looks increase with her years. Her resi-
dence portion is especially attractive.
She looks better and behaves better,
almost anywhere than on her business
streets. On Egan avenue, and parts ad.
~jacent, her buildings are not many OF
them representative of, or credltable to,
her present ambition. They are relics
o., her first brave struggle in an early
day and destined either to carry much
and more valuable property to destruc-
tlon with them as, under the spur OF
some high wind they go up in flames, or
to be sloughed off gradually in healthful
development Of the parts affected. Her
homes, however, are the result of her
more recent endeavors. They show the
drift of the town. and are pleasant TO
look upon. The drift which they plain
ly indicate is set toward goodness. 1t
is a drift from bald ugliness toward
beauty; away from the make-shifts of
yesterday toward the well.appointed and
substantial abiding place for both the
Oullu6TS huu blcAE hcSECuAcuSS
The betterment OF our dwellings mean
much to the caterers to them in the shop
and Office. The spirit which has begun
to remodel our homes win not be- con
fined within them. 1t will walk aoroad
and demand recognition in the marts OF
trade. The butcher, the baker, and the
general goodsman will all have to mind
their ps and q. They will learn that
the homes support them, not they the
homes. As our houses improve in sweet
ness and comfort, those who occupy
them will go down town for bread and
meat not because they are hungry. They
will do their own baking and butcher
ing in proportion as the places where
these things are undertaken to be done
cleanliness of their W surroundings.
They are under no compulsion TO crowd
IN among gangs of ~loafers, holding their
breath against the foul atmosphere Of
the place, in order to buy for their child
rem a steak or a loaf. They are not in
clined, a second time, to place before their
guests at table some product OF the deal
er which reeks of stale tobacco smoke.
They prefer to take their stimulants and
corrections in separate Goses.
Moreover, they do not go to the dry
goods counter or the groceryman because
they are naked and likely to starve. They
cannot be expected to walk in and pay
out for whatever happens to be on the
shelves. They propose to be just and
fair in all their dealings, but they do not
propose to be forever "~patronizing the
home dealer" on his terms. They ask
that the home dealer shall patronize
them; that he shall raise his standard to
the level of the home. They are no
longer so simple as to go on purchasing
the cheapest article land therefore often
the most X expensive in the end) just be-
cause 1T 10 cheap, or, forsooth, because
1.-The country trade demands that kind."l
They know what they want, and, more
and more they will buy only what the
standard OF their home life calls for.
They will get it in Chicago or in New
York, il they cannot get it in the home
market. The home dealer may be Of
any nationality you choose, out these
home dwellers, who are breaking away
from frontier conditions, will be apt to
say to him, ave are Abraham's children,
and were never in bondage To any man"
The recent crash along our business
street may have been in part the result
of poor crops. Be that as it may, the
obligation thus laid upon US rs not to
produce more and better crops. That
obligation rests upon the farmer. 1t is
his business, not that of the townsman.
The crops and the farmers NAY be better,
or they may be worse, but the adnloni-
ton and the warning 10 US are that We
take more heed as to our methods Of
dealing with those who labor in the
fields and with one another. What
Madison wants in order TO make her
solid, is not more banks and stores but
banks and stores that are more solid.
These vacant buildings, so strange a
spectacle among us hitherto, cry out to
every loyal citizen not, 30, fill us soon
with something or other, that the
stranger may see how well occupied and
how many We are;' but they say rather,
and that soberly, Take us away alto
gether, or else put into US that which is
worthy; that the capitalist and Christian
gentleman may in future both have con-
fidence in our integrity {.
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