Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-21
THE TRADrxc-srAMr MATTER.
A Card from Mr.. George Med. Blake.
Alexandria Merchants Moving.
no the Editor OF the DIspatch

(Communicated.)
| To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
The following letter from Colonel c.
William Ramsey. commander of r. f..
Lee Camp. No. @ Of the city Of Alexan-
dria. will explain itself: Colonel Ramsey
is one OF Alexandria's most substantial
merchants:
MIR. George Med. Blake, Richmond. Va:
My Dear Sir.-Your letter and telegram
received. The change OF time Of meeting
OF the committee to Friday renders it
out OF my power to meet them, since
being a member OF the Nsvisory Council
| OF the Grand camp, l expect to be in
Lynchburg at that time. | have turled
| the paper over to two other gentlemen
who feel an interest In such matters. and
| am sure that many more names will be
added to II. |, personally, am physically
unable to take II around as ] would like
| to do. You already have received near
| ly all the better class OF merchants on
| King street. including several names OF
! those who use the stamps. These two
gentlemen and myself would have been
in Richmond tomorrow. had the COM
| mittec met then. Whether or not my
not being able to go with them viii act
rs damper / cannot say. but 1 think
| II probable that they will come. Upon
inquiring at the City Treasurer's Office
! found that the number of dealers pay
ing the State license this year will hard
~ exceed two hundred. Where Mr.. Bar
ley gets the other two hundred will
leave TO you to ascertain from him. OF
course, his statement was only hts opin-
ion. and worth only as much as any
body else's and only that. The opinions
of a good many more of us are exactly
the contrary. In fact, / do not hesitate
to say that the contrary is really the
case, and that a great majority are OPP
posed TO the whole tradng-stamp BUSH
ness. From what several of those using
the stamps say, l am sure that many
who use them do so only for fear of
losing trade to their neighbors. You are
at liberty to use this letter in any man.
ner you may deem best.
Very truly yours.
G. WILLIAM RAMSEY.
Now Mr.. Editor. Colonel Barley, mem
be- OF the House of Delegates from Alex
andria, stated on the floor of the House
that the merchants Of Richmond had
sent paid attorney referring TO MYSELF
to Alexandria, and that the city was
secured from end to end, and that out Of
40 merchants doing business there, only
forty would sign the petition TO break up
the tradingstamp people The truth IS.
/ went there and interviewed forty-nine
merchants, and forty-five signed the pc
tition asking the Legislature to pass the
Murphy bill. Now Colonel Ramsey says
that there are not 200 licenses issued in
the city OF Alexandra, including peanut
stands. junkshops. and saloons, who as
yet have not been reached by the trading
stamp people.
can't see why Colonel Barley should
take such great interest in the trading
stamp people, when he knows or should
know, that wherever the stamp people
have put their feet. from California TO
Florida and from Maine to Texas, there
has been dscord and trouble in all lines
of business. The scheme is being fought
everywhere. and the merchants Of Vir-
gina-or, at least 80 per cent. of them
are praying the Legislature to break
them up. With all this before us. Colonel
Barley comes before the House with an
armful of law-books TO show that the
decision of the Court of Appeals of the
District of Columbia is rendered by an
imbecile, and that the trading-stamp peo-
pie are being prosecuted and prosecuted
by merchants of this State who are no.
thing more nor less than trusts and COM
bines to rob the people.
GEORGE MD. BLAKE.
p. S.-Just received the following:
Alexandria, Va, January 10, 1898.
Mr. George Med. Blake:
Dear Sir.-We will forward the petition |
you returned TO Mr.. Ramsey by Messrs. |
McCuen and Summers on Friday We !
have already secured the signatures of |
12S out or 200 merchants. and Will likely |
add more. / trust the bill may pass by
a large majority. l am sure that none
of our citizens. even those using the
stamps would have any great regret at
seeing this abolished by law.
Very truly, &c,
JOHN +. TACKETT.