The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-15

/ was Illuminating about the grand army
of middle men that it takes TO carry on
the trade and commerce of this country.
/ verify believe that they make more
money that the manufacturers and there
are twice as many of them A friend
of mine recently visited a large manu-
factory of sewing machines and the su-
perintendencnt told him that the prime
cost Of a frst-class machine was $3.50,
and they jobbed them off at S13. The
jobber sold them for s15 to agents. The
agents retail them at $35, for he has TO
rent store room and keep a horse and
wagon and make repairs free and sell
on installments and sometimes has to
take a machine back for non-payment.
When the original Bill Arp moved to
Texas he took his wife's machine with
him and left his note behind with $40
unpaid. Shortly after that a new agent
was sent here who was not acquainted
with the Arp family and he came out to
my house and wanted me to pay the note
] had hard work to convince him that ]
was another Arp. The note was signed
William Arp, his mark, and Cinderella
Arp, her mark. My wife was very in
dignant that she should be suspected of
making her mark.
Well. now you see how much money
went to the middle men after the ma
chine left the faetory-$22-twic as
much as it cost to make it. Just so it
is with thousands of other things that
so through the hands of middle men.
| was Eliminating about this because l
received report of 500 copies of my new
hook that Mr.. Byrd had sold. The book
cost IS cents to electrotype and print and
bind it. and l was to have half the pro-
fits arising from the sale The price
was $l.25 postage paid, which WAS IL
cents. Thirty copies had beer sold here
at the book store for $3.50. The book
store kept % per cent. or $997. Mr.
Byrd got s2S13. The freight AMI Incl
dental expenses amount to cents a
copy. SO the cost was SO cent? and it
netted 80 cents and my half Of the diff
ference was 2h cents on a copy The
publisher and agent or middle men get
about all there is in a book. l am not
complaining at anybody but myself, COR
Mr. Byrd told me that tho price would
have to be $3.50 to make anything, bit
! wasn't thinking about agents charging
SO much and / wanted the people to have
it as cheap as possible But it can't go
on this way. The publication must stop
or the price be raised to Sl.50 and If an
agent wont sell for 25 cents a copy, he
needn't sell at all. He runs no risk.
He loses no time. The books sell them
selves on the counter. But Mr. Byrd can
continue to sell on mail orders for $1.25
and 10 cents more for postage. This will
be a fair divide all around and give the
1
Senator Hoar's speech at Chicago is be-
fore me. Nothing since the war has so
cheered me and impressed me as that
beautiful speech. Why doesn't every
newspaper in the South copy it, or that
part of it that pays such tribute TO
the Southern people. When | finished
reading It I would have hugged the old
man, il he had been near enough Listen
My life politically has been life of
constant strife with the leaders of the
Southern people, yet as | grow older
have learned not only to respect and
esteem them, but love the great qualf
ties which belong to my countrymcn of
the Southern States. They are noble
race. We may we'll take pattern from
them in some of the virtues that give
strength and glory to a free people.
Their love of home: their chivalroCs re-
spect for woman-tEeir courage-;heir
delicate sense of honor-their consistency
which can abide by an opinion or a
purpose through adversely and prosperi-
ty and through years and generations.
And there is another righteousness,
corruption and the low temptation ot
money has not yet found any place in
Southern politics.
''My friends, we cannot afford TO live
in a state of estrangement from a people
who possess these qualities. They are
friends of ours, born of our borning,
flesh of our flesh blood of our blood ard
if l have a right to speak for Massa
chusetts, will say, 'EnUreat me not to
leave thee or forsake thee, where thou
goest, viii go. Thy people shall be my
people, and thy God my God
This is only part of it. l have placed
1t in my scrap book along with the adj
mirable editorial comment of The Con-
stitution.
The Senator spoke truly when he said
that corruption in national politics had
not yet reached the South. If the case
had been reversed our members would
rot have unseated Butler, but with the
Northern members the ends justify the
means. Yes, L remember from away
back how the. old man fought us. My
father was brought up in his State and
my mother in South Carolina an5 when
the Senator and l were in our eGrly
manhood 1--WE were born in the same
year,, the war began between those two
States. Yes, more than fifty years ago,
and has been bitter and unrelenting ever
since. This is the first sign Of return
ing sense of justice that has come from
any great man of the Old Bay State and
we rejoice that it has come from Sarator
Hoar, the noblest Roman OF them al.
It's influence viii reach from Chicago to
Boston and it's generous sentiments will
thrill every breast in the Southland.
l care netting for Mr.. Roosevelt ncr
RICKETY CHILDREN.