The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-11-18


much OF their trading with supply
houses; also with travelling peddlers,
and in many instances send orders to
distant city establishments. Denison
is no exception to this rule.
While America is free country and
no one denies the right of any individ-
ual to buy goods where he pleases, yet
1t would seem to be, and must be, to the
advantage of every person having
property interests in or near Denison
to spend his money here, providing he
can obtain approximately the same
value for the money expended here, as
elsewhere.
Take, for example, the idea which
many people have, that one can do bet
ter in a large city than at home. We
believe, in fact, we are positive, that
not only do purchasers in large cities
not receive, in the long run, more for
their money, but in many cases less.
This statement will perhaps be regarded
by some with incredulity, but is capable
OF proof. The merchants Of the large
cities do not as a rule practice or do
what is called legitimate business.
They have leaders" conspicuously dis
played or advertised, upon which they
make little or no profit; these leaders
usually consist of articles of the value
of which the public is fairly we'll in
formed. But no one can live on s'lead-
ers," and almost invaribly the pur-
shaser buys other articles. If the un-
suspecting victim of the trans action
were to figure up he would generally
find that he had done little or no better
than if he had bought at home.
In the desire to dazzle the eye of the
passer.by. or the reader OF ADVERTISE
ments. with astonishing bargains, keep
ers of perhaps the majority of big stores
resort to the selling of inferior articles.
Meats are sold that are on the verge OF
decay; also jellies, extracts, syrups,
catsnps, etc., which are concoctions of
deleteriOus ingredients, and are not
only not what the labels say they are,
but are absolutely injurious to the
health. Fine looking shoes are found
to be deceit, and stylish appearing
suits Of clothes almost an iniquity.
The big stores can do this sort of
business and live because they rely to a
great extent upon transient custom
They do not expect steady customers,
but make it a rule to get all the profit
possible out Of every person entering
the store or sending ap order by selling
at cheap prices cheaper articles; work
ing upon the principle that there is ian
innocent" born every minute.
These methods are adopted mora or
less by majority of peddlers, and fol-
lowed in no small degree by most if not
all the supply houses. The present
methods of business and expense of
travel force them to do this.
The home merchant dare not, even if
he wished, resort to such methods of
business. When sale is made here it
is with the hope of its being stepping
stone to another, and were one of our
local merchants to throw upon the
market such a class of goods as are
every day disposed of in the cities to a
gullible public-or which find their way
into the country through irregular
channels ls-his reputation would be for
ever blasted.
We do not believe there is merchant
in this city who would knowingly sell a
patron an adulterated OF inferior al.
ticle without informing the buyer of
its exact condition. The majority OF
dealers do not handle this class of goods
at all, as they are nearly always un.
satisfactory to both buyer and seller.
Partly on account of this unfair and
illegitimate competition, which extends
to the remotest country districts -oul
I merchants have been compelled to
lower prices until there is the barest
y possible profit made upon every line Of
goods handled here. High grade, stand
ard articles are sold here at the same
prices charged for orinferior goods hawkeG
about by peddlers or sent out from the
large cities. When an intending pur
chaser can get his ten dollars worth O
reliable goods at home, does is not lool
like the height of folly to send i
abroad with the probability Of getting
Cheated? .a s@;,
Besides these facts, which shoult
surely be sufficient, it must be remem
bered that when money is spent witt
our merchants it does not all go abroad
They have expenses of clerks, rent
taxes. light, fuel. etc, and these ar