The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-15
ago I was asked to speak be-

a while ago was asked TO speak pc
fore the nom ners OF one Of the largest
organizations Of women. I chose for my
subject Home Buyers" and as nearly
as can remember. this is what said:
Dear Women:-I don't call you ladies.
the scrub-lady were made afterwards.
You love tile town Of your birth. or
the town of your adoption. You magnify
Its advantages. and you belittle Its dis
advantages. If you don't respect your
town nobody else will respect 1t.
mo woman is half woman unless
there is engraven upon the looking glass
Of her m.nd that patriotic motto OF local
prog1 ession:
"My Town First; Other Towns After
wards"
you are the owners Of your town.
Man may think that he is monarch OF all
no can survey. but he isn't.
you may not vote. but when you
want to vote. all the men In Chr!stendon1
will be but bubbles on the sea of politics.
"He VINO would beard the lion In his den,
who would press his finger upon the but
ton of trade that business may jingle
when lie connects the wires. who would
smoke his cigar before the all-ready-to-
smoke mouths Of many cannon, dares not
face his wife-of-over-a-year wearing the
second pair OF trousers made by the tail
or Who does not fit him to suit her.
1.-THE mother of creation Is the buyer
Of creations necessities.
"Without dcp.ecIating the great me-
chanical and financial interests OF the
country. / will make the surprising, and
yet positively true. statement. verified BY
| the unlmpenchabe statistics of the world.
| that the larger part Of the product OF the
| earth, and of machinery. Is intended for
| the inside and outside of the human body.
| and Is used In the economy, comfort. and
| luxury of home-lving.
woman controls the family. She Is
| the queen OF the home. the home-ma-.er
or the home-breaker, the captain OF tho
house, and the naturally elected buyer.
woman. not man, holds trace IN the
| hollow of her hand.
eighty per cent Of the advertisements
| in your newspapers. In your magazines.
and In your family papers. arc written
| for the eyes of women and announce
goods used by women and purchased by
! women.
| THE woman buys for herself, for the
| children, and for every member OF the
| household.
There isn't manly man entirely wo-
manless: II the man Is w!feless. and Is
not arranging for wife, he Ia living un-
| der the Influence of como female--his
mother his aunt his sister, or sombody' q
else sister.
'.The women OF your town as well as
the men of your town make the business
OF your town.
within the woman is the power to
! make or break town.
| UNLESS the town be merely SUBJ
urban bedroom, Its character is reckoned
| by Its business.
"A town with thousand thousand-dol-
! lar families Is ten times more progressive
than town Of dozen milionaires.
in tho circulation of money. not In
the storing OF money. Is the use OF money.
1.-THE rapid, heallntul. vigorous circula-
strength OF the town as Is the circula-
ton OF the blood necessary to the we'll
being of the body
SHOW me the business street o. town,
and ] will tell YOU the sincerity OF tts
churches. the size Of its Libraries, the
breadth OF It's schools, and the character
OF It's people.
THE business street is the giant artery
Of the system Of progression,
mot the factories of your town, not
the railroads OF your town, not the In
stitut ons of your town, not the popu-
lalion OF your town make your town. al
though they all help, in local home
business Is local progression.
where there is progressive local bust.
ness tNeFe is aVhllaple money Tor better
churches. better libraries. better schools
and better everything,
"Annihilate local business. or stunt 1t,
growth, and there comes depression tina,
depresses everything, even to civilization
In you'd hands rests tho fate of you,
town.
AS you will 1t. so will II be-
Read your local papers It's you,
duty to know what is going on about you
"Read the advertisements OF your loca
stores.
Keep posted on the business of YOU
town, as well as upon the social functions
Many good thing is lost TO the wo
man who does not regularly read tn,
advertisements.
II am aware that some stores misrep
resent in their advertising. and ais,
know that you can get cheated at tn
stores that don't advertise,
All things considered. the store whicl
wants your trade enough to invite 80,
10 give 1t to 1t, 10 the safest and best stor
10 trade at, and this store adyertises,