The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-22
RESULTS THAT
WILL FOLLOW
PROMINENT BUSINESS MAN
SPEAKS OF LOCAL EVIL.
is CERTAIN TO REBOUND
Poor Example Set by Those Who
Should Be First in UpbuiIding and
Advancing city's Interests.

energy and loyalty OF the Billings
people, and l must say that at first
the appearance of the city impressed
me as bearing out that report. Now,
however, that l have had time to
become at least partially acquainted
with both city and people and have
had opportunity to make myself rea-
sonably familiar with conditions and
men, l regret that I find myself COM
PEELED to revise the good opinion form
ed on first impulse. The revision
necessary is in regard to the loyalty
of those, who, above all others, are
supposed to lead in that respect-the
business men, meaning by this both
those following mercantile pursuits
and those engaged in the professions.
They are certainly setting a poor ex-
ample for the rest of the community;
one that, if followed, is bound to re-
suit disastrously to the very men
responsible for it and be of incalcula-
BILE injury to the city,
The speaker was a gentleman hav-
ing but recently acquired large busi-
ness interests here, who by reason
thereof is deeply concerned in any
thing and everything calculated to ad-
vance the city and promote it's growth
and prosperity "While l am sorry to
be forced to speak in this manner"
| he continued, "I am only voicing my
honest convictions and it is not with
any feeling of resentment or enmity
toward any one that have referred to
the subject.
Communities Like individuals.
GAS individuals must help them
selves if they hope to succeed, so
must communities and in no way can
communities so effectively help them
selves as by giving reasonable and
continued support to all deserving in
stitutions at home. Each of us in
his way is contributor to the gen.
eral good and welfare of all and 1T is
our duty to help one another in every
way we can. When we cease doing
this, we no longer are entitled to the
name of loyal and good citizens, for
we forfeit all claim to that reputa-
ton. BY withholding support from
| home concerns and giving it to those
of other places we are deliberately
blocking the wheels OF progress by
withdrawing from channels money
that should find circulation in them.
The merchants and others who are
| giving the benefit of their aavertis-
| ing patronage to foreign newspapers
that happen to have modest circula-
ton here are simply advising their
| customers to do the same thing-to
send elsewhere for their goods. Yet
were this advice to be followed to
any extent, those same merchants
would consider themselves entitled
to protest and make strenuous appeal
to the public for its custom. They
would probably even go to the ex-
tent of appealing to your commercial
committee for devisement of ways to
stop the practice and do so on the
ground of communal good. While
they would probably do this, it would
be without any warrant Of right, for
they themselves set the example and
those of whom they complained
would be without blame.
What Results viii Be.
"The results may not become ap-
parent at once, but the time is bound
to come when they will begin to show
When the buying public sees that the
home merchants are sending their
money out of the city for advertising
it will reason, and justly so, that
it has the same privilege when il
comes 70 the matter of making pur'
chases, for it must be admitted that
there are many places where goods
. may be bought for less prices thar
are asked here, even including the
cost of transportation to bring then
in.
1--WE are all here for the purpose
OF earning our living and as loyal
patriotic citizens it is our duty to de
everything in our power to help ths