The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-21
THE SMALL STORE.

mon. and as it seems to us, entirely
fallacious assumption everywhere that
the small dealer cannot maintain him
self against these large corporations
They are pictured as on par with
great trade monopOlies, as taking adj
vantage of their strength to crush out
competition, and as bound in the nat
ural order Of things, if not checked and
burdened by legislation to draw into
themselves nd destroy all minor out
side competition. This is a view too
similar to that which dictated one issue
of the last campaign. We heard, then.
too much Of the arraying Of class
against class, and We're treated daily to
dissertations on the irrepressible con-
f1ict between capital and labor, between
rich and poor, as If the question were
which of these should survive. The fact
is, as sober people know, that, until
some day so far distant as to be now
invisible, we shall have them both with
us. The same is true of the controversy
now in hand.
The department store is a perfectly
natural development of bushes condi-
/ tions. 1t has not grown up by means
of any favoring legislation. 1t has not
received, from nation, state or city, a
single advantage that is not open to
all. There exists no right in any COM
| munity or in its representatives to pass
legislation discriminating against it,
any more than there would be to pass
other legislation giving it special favor.
The American people, we must con-
Tess, have become all too familiar with
TINS corrupting demon of class legisla-
ton. and their represent tives are now
engaged at Washington in passing a
bill which will enable a lot of rich men
to become richer at the expense of
those less fortunate. But, as one wrong
does not Justify another, so this is no
warrant for other legislation attempt
ing to improve the circumstances of
still other people at the expense Of
somebody else. The true remedy of all
democracy is to furnish men with
equality of opportunity, and then leave
them free to work out their own fate.
AS there is no such thing as equality
of ability, the result must be inequality
Of fortune. But it will be justice, and
that is the supreme end for which all
government ought to exist
The department store. then. is enti-
tied, naturally. to free play to make
the most of it's opportunity. There is
no right or reason in stretching out the
arm Of the state to place it under re-
strictions or conditions from which
others are free. If it does not flourish
by legislative favor if it stands upon
its own bottom. if it develops as a part
Of commercial and industrial prog
ress, as it does, without artificial aid
then it has the same right to be free
( from artificial hindrance that any indi-
vidual has in building up his personal
fortune by his industry and foresight
To deny this is to deny equality, to i'm
peach justice and to destroy liberty.
The other side of this question. it
seems to US, has been too hastily gloss
ed over. The common assumption is
that the small store cannot possibly
hold its own against the big one 1t is
an assumption that is not warranted bv
the facts. Men have been driven out Of
business. it is true. by the competition
of the department stores in their lines
! business is conducted with shrewdness
and ability? The answer is found in
/ the existence, side by side with these
/ great institutions, of a host of smaller
! concerns that are thriving and making
money against the same competitors
A lot of men fail in business every
year. This was just as true before the
department stores were heard or
dreamed of as it is today 1t results
from bad management, over-capitaliza-
ton, doing business on credit, failing
! to catch accurately the popular de-
mand, loading up with unstable arti-
cles, not keeping abreast of the times
and host of other similar causes.
/ 1t requires a very high order of bust
ness ability TO engage in the sale of any
commodity and establish a trade that
will sustain itself and bring in a rea-
sonable profit. That the thing can
/ be done does not admit of any
doubt, because it is done We
could name, for example. score Of
/ exceedingly successful business enter
prises handling. each of them. only a
single line of articles, that display
! their wares on the same streets and
within a stones throw of the big de-
partment stores in these two cities and
/ in others. The men who manage these
know their trade and cater to it. They
! devote all their powers to watching
their particular business and conform
ing it to the public demand. They
please their patrons and hold them
against any and all Corners Above
all things. they understand the yalue
of advertising. They keep themselves
as prominently before the public as
the department stores do, and SO have