The leader., 1902-01-22
PATRONIZE HOME MERCHANTS.
Spend Your Money at Home and Help to
Build Up Home Interests.

Spend Your Money at Home and Help to
Build Up Home Interests.
Correspondence Hazlehurst Courier.l
A few days ago witnessed the open.
ing of package containing goods pur.
chased from one of the large mail or
der houses of the country. Prompted
by curiosity l asked one of the buyers
what he paid for the suit of clothes
he had just received, and when he
told me it cost s14.50 expressed my
surprise and said | thought he could
get the suit cheaper right at home.
My remark led to quite discussion
between myself and the man referred
to and his neighbor, the two having
ordered goods together. They told
me that their home merchants always
charged terribly high prices and
robbed them every chance they got. l
asked them where they got such an
idea, and finally, after considerable
skirmishing, one of them acknowl-
edged that some of the circulars they
got said so, and they affirmed that it
was true. When asked if any of their
merchants had ever robbed them, they
said they thought so, but when pressed
for an instance when they were
robbed by a home merchant they
could not give any. Finally, one of
the men offered to bet me s. that the
suit he had received could not be pur-
chased of local merchant for less
than Sl6. Not wishing to risk so
much on a point my opponent seemed
to be so sure of, l finally wagered the
cigars on my judgment.
1t was agreed that | should do the
talking, and taking the coat belong
ing to the suit, we started out. At
the two first stores visited we found
nothing similar to the coat l carried,
but was told they could furnish as
good quality of goods for sl2 to sl3
At the second store the clerk in
charge of the clothing, when told we
did not want to purchase, but merely
wished to settle dispute regarding
the value of the suit, said he thought
"Mr. SO and So" had the same thing
as the coat l carried. Upon calling
at the third store we found the same
goods, the same makeup, with the
same brand-the initials of the man
| -, ho IL 1,
price, the clerk showed the price on
the coat, in plain figures, $3.50, two
dollars and eXpressage charges less
than the farmer had paid to the great
mail order house. When l left they
were still examining the clothes, pull
ing out threads, which they burned
with matches, etc.
This is fair sample of the way the
people are imposed upon by these out
side concerns. 1t may be right to
rob those who deal with such houses,
but it is not right that the home COM
munity-the home dealers should be
sighted in this manner. The local
merchants are, as rule, honest, or
they could not continue in business
They are the true friends of the far
mer, always buying their produce, etc,
and many times losing money on the
same. They give the farmer credit,
often on long time, and are always
ready to extend any reasonable ac-
commodation. The home merchants
pay large share of the taxes and
general expenses of both town and
county. They give literally to
churches and all charitable organiza-
tions. They are ever ready to con-
tribute to new road or road improve
ment fund, and to any project intended
to be of benefit to either town or
county.
Do these outside houses help to pay
our taxes or to build up the roads,
county or city? Is there case on
record where they have ever contrib
uted towards the support of our
churches or schools? These ques-
tions can all be answered in the mega
tive. Would they take the farmers
produce in exchange for goods-or
give him long time credit? No. They
want the cash, and that, too, before
| the farmer assumes possession of the
goods he orders.
1t may be possible the farmers have
never thought of the facts | mention.
If not, it is high time they were
doing so. The foreign mail order
house does no one any good excepting
the men who own it. When you buy
of them you are led to believe you
are getting bargains, when in reality
gou are getting skinned. There is
no merchant in HaZlehurst but that
stands ready to discount any prices
given by these foreign houses. Then,
too, the home merchant is always ready
to make right anything wrong in the
goods he sells. 1t you complain to
the great mail order house you will
be told you got just what you ordered;
or, "return the goods, pay expressage,
and we will make it right" Ia that
case you get the same article again,
rubbed up or pressed out a little, or
patched up and are told it is "better
now than new," etc. Buy of the
foreign mail order house and you
never get value for your money, and
you are constantly paying out money
for expressage. Deal with your home
merchant and you get your moneys
worth, are treated right, aud you
help build up and strengthen your
own county, your own city, your own
schools and churches, and you can go
to bel with clear conscience, know
ing you have done your duty as a
true American citizen.
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