The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1899-04-12
ALADY ANSWERS THE QUESTION.


our people to ignore home merchants
and 90 elsewhere for goods. Sorry TO
say it, but nevertheless tits true. At
this time we have a vindieatfon of this.
there being parties from distance here
exhibiting and selling lace curtains. 1t
is said they have sold many dollars
worth OF curtains in Richmond and yet
there stand the merchants against their
counters. Is it right?-Pantagraph
WHY GOODS ARE BOUGHT ON THE
INsTALLMENT PLAN.
The Paragraph undertake of March
3Oth, ask if it is right for the people Of
this town to ignore their home mer-
chants. and purchase lace curtains from
travelling men, who come to the town
from time to time representing INSTALL
ment firms from distant cities. In be-
half of the working class / make this
answer:
The gold standard has made the buy
ing of such articles as lace curtains and
paying spot cash for them, out Of the
question.
OF course, we will admit that it is al
ways best to pay cash for what one gets,
yet il this hard-time state of affairs we
would hardly have any thing if we had
to pay all down at once. And cur
homes would look bleak and drear in
deed. We have a certain amount of
pride-beiDg poor does not keep us from
having an eye for the beautiful. We
like to have our homes look well, just
as much as if we were rich. 1t behooves
every man and woman to make home
as bright and cheerful as possible, for
that surely is the poor working mans
haven of rest, after a day spent at hard
toll for small pay. Little children en-
Joy having their homes look we'll.
Pride is an innate inheritance of the
civilized human being.
Sometimes a LoOr young benedict
starting out DER the sea of risky matri-
monial bliss, more risky now than
ever, under the pressure of the gold
standard, desires to furnish in a mod
est, simple way, a little home for his
young bride. What would his small
amount of savings buy if he had to pay
cash for what he got. Yet, on the
friendly installment plan he makes his
little cottage look inviting and home
like with a curtain here and a rug there
/ Making small payments monthly out OF
his meagre salary, and glad to do it, for
he knows his wife will be better satisf-
ed, more cOntented with the things
that seems to belong to woman kind
namely-dainty pleasant surroundings,
Most all the lace curtains and rugs
sold on the iEstallment plan are sold to
ladies; they buy these little home dec
orations and obligate themselves to
make the monthly payments. They
take in sewing and do many kinds o.
work that comes within the line of fe
male employment, thereby not having
to ask their hard-worked poOrly-paiG
husbands to buy things they are moi
able to afford. Ninety cents per day viii
not keep mans family, pay rent, buy
clothes. furnish something to eat, and 1
thousand other little things that canno
be dispensed with, and DO not come un
der the head of luxuries either, anC
pay for lace curtains too, in cash. Tn,
colored women, especially, buy and pay
for these things by their own efforts
making thus otherwise humble home
look nice and tidy, and they deserv,
credit for it.
Now, what merchant in this town ha
ever held out any inducements what
ever to this class of people, who are il
many cases poor but honest? The
would not give credit to that class, the.
would boot at the suggestion of LETTING
the bill be paid in installments, tellinI
them plainly they did not keep an il
stallment house.
Merchant employ man to take on
his rugs and curtains, sell them ON jus
D the same terms that these travelin
men do, then call each month for tn
payments, and 1 believe he would
as much business as any of the so cal
ed ''Installment Firms"
Every merchant who voted the Col
STANDARD voted the working class {
. people from his counter to a great e1
tent. Every poor man, white or blacl
who voted the Gold Standard voted lac
draperies from his window and brigh
warm rugs from his hearth and il
ought to have to get out of bedkar
footed on the bare floor, but the wome
are too proud to live like that and haV