Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-04-02
OUR CANDIDATE IN 1900
A Question Answered.
Paris, March 26, 1885,

A Question Answered.
Paris, March 26, 1897.
EDITOR PLAIN DEALER:-
Noticing an article in F. D., in re-
gard to Alliance Store; / suppose it is
not you that is kicking, but the mer-
chants of Cresco through the P. d. 1t
does not seem just right for the ones
that are doing seven-eights of the
business of Cresco to kick against the
one-eighth; especially as they have
the banks, and what is still better,
the drug stores. There was farmer
boy that was inclined to sleep late
mornings. Farmer said to his wife
wake Henry up but do it gently;
wife says, ..how will do it?" ..Well
just blow the dinner horn in his ears. "
Is it not a fact that the merchants of
Cresco needed gently waking up
about the time the Alliance Store
started. STEVE PEGGY.
P. S.-You are at liberty TO publish
this, put it in the waste basket, or put
it in your pipe and smoke it. S. T.
REMARKS BY THE EDITOR.
We presume from his postscript that
our friend thought his letter would
never appear in cold type, in the
PLAIN. DEALER. As the manager of
the Alliance store declined to give
prices or to give the editor anything
but cold and uncivil reception when
seeking information to the end that
facts and comparisons in prices might
be given, we are glad to have some
person with the courage to speak in
its behalf through the press, come to
the foot lights.
And now we beg to assure Mr.. PEGGY
that every property owner, every me-
chanic and laboring man who owns a
home in Cresco, is as hostile to the
purpose of the Alliance store as are
any of the merchants of Cresco. AT
the very inception of the organization
those most prominent in the move
ment asserted that the farmers had
made Cresco, and they would show that
the Y conld tear it down.
That purpose accomplished, labor
would find no employment where now
thousands of days works are given it
by the business and professional men
and property owners of Cresco.
The combination formed whereby il
dragons it stock holders to be, and
remain it's patrons, destroys independ.
ence and healthy competition in trade,
making its stock holders subservlent
to the store, regardless of quality or
prices in its goods. This is its tend
ency, and its evil the creation and up
building of trust or monopoly.
Its baneful spirit may be seen by
every person who has been a resident
of this county as long as has the writ
or, who can mention score OF mer
who were carried through the plant
ing and harvesting their crops, sup
plying their families with groceries
and in some instances paying the hired
help from their store, and even Turn
ishing money to buy the seed planted
and these same men are organized te
to destroy if possible those who il
those dark and gloomy days were theil
benefactors.
What Mr.. PEGGY facetiously allud e.
to as the "waking up OF the mer
chants is, perhaps, the reduction o
prices,is myth, as attributed to such
cause. Upon standard grades ant
qualities of merchandise there ha
been much less reduction in prices
than in the prices of farm products
which it is as correct to attribute t.
the Alliance store, as the less decline
in prices OF merchandise. The fact il
it is neither TO be charged with the
one or credited with the other. Oul
financial system is the cause largely
of the decline in prices and not tn
Alliance store.
The combines and trusts which
has brought into existence and ar
controlling the money of the country
fixes price upon labor and all 1t
commodities and they are the enemie
farmers should make war upon insteat
of upon the local business and bust
ness men of the country. Senate
Vest of Mo-, in speech in the Senat
some four years ago showed that fou
men in Chicago fix the price upon ev
cry hoof that comes to that marke
regardless of supply or demand. an
also that the various boards OF trad
fix the price OF grain, making it cnea
in the producers hands but too dea
for the starving millions after it ha
passed out OF the producers ownershi
These combines, trusts, railroa
pools and other combinations hav
made it impossible for the farmer t
produce wheat or corr
4 or oats, with profit while maxim
the conditions and prices such tina
the consumers at the other end of th
line are unable to buy and consume
These, and not the retail merchant
OF the country, have created the cor
ditions of which thefarmer complains
The Dubuqe Telegraph pertinentl
remarks: 1T is base iDgratitude fo
$ba ronnh1ican majority in the low