Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-04-22


(Appiause.) l don't wish to infiame the
miads of any here. I doL't wish to
excite TO anger any person here. / don't
want to have this done in q rabld or
unkind or ungentlemanly way whatever.
/ am simply putting in force those facts
that come from the very existen,e OF
our contracts and our dealings with
these people, that brings US nearer as a
body TO each other. and cannot possibly
bring US nearer to trust that has no
direct heart interest in US. I want TO
present TO this association here this
morning the facts. and then-where are
We trending? Surprising that we recog-
nize the five companies that have gone
into q combine to be the whole push,
and that we don't recognize the five or
six independent companies on the out
side. Surprising that you contract with
the five companies that are In the COM
bine to the exclusion of the five or six
companies that are out OF the combine
what is the RESULT. Supposing for one,
two or three. years you contract ex-
clusively for the com bine's goods to the
exclusion of the independent goods
what will you have to contract with at
the end of five or SIX years, outside OF
the com ine's machine?
By Member: Won't have anything.
Mr.. Moses: Are you then promoting
your interest, are you promoting the
interest of your neighbor and friend, or
are you promoting the interest OF some
body that doesn't recognize you? Who
is doing this? Is 1t the trust that is
doing this, or is 1T you that is doing this!
Did you ever think of it? Did you. ever
realize the extent of it? Did you ever
look into the future of it? Why, it my
friend Heeney here is satisfied in his
;r~L H0r ~ no
is well. and good, but if my friend
Cochran or Robnett. in their neighbor-
hoods, are not satisfied with the manner
in which they have contracted, with the
manner in which they have tried to
throttle their best agents by putting the
business In the hands of non agents, is
that right? And, will not these same
questions come before you, and will not
these same platitudes OF putting off,
putting off, putting off get worse and
worse until you are worse of than when
you had all these companies to deal
with? You can't make dicker today.
Do what tell you to do, or let it alone.
That is all there is to it. Are you any
better off now? We used to go before
these companies and get concessions of
| this and that. They used to be very
| friendly, very nice. but now they come
and say to you, "Exclusive-you and I
are exclusive; nobody else," and after a
while,' when the other companies are
wiped out, there will be little stronger
| terms used. They will say, eff you
don't like it, we will have just one agent
in this town; we will wipe you out, too
-thar's what we will do" You know
before the steel and wire trust was
formed we used to have corps of nice,
gentlemanly, courteous travelling men
IL
| associations were; how we could dicker
for barbed wire. and nails, and so on.
A month after that they sent you a
postal card telling you it you wanted
| any goods to send in your order. Men
that built up these concerns have been
turned loose and the last two months
have been seeking employment else
where-men who gave the best of their
| lives, of their energy, to make dollars
| and cents for somebody else. If they
didn't care for them, what will they care
for you three or four years from now?
One man can handle all of the machines
and they can wipe you out. l think that
there should be no exclusive contract
cries of 'good."o I think that it is
high time today to stand upon our
! rights. No temporizing, no giving up,
until we have fought that battle to the
successful end. And, mind you, it can
be, for never were there nobler, better
| fighting comrades in the ranks of
humanity than the retail implement
dealers of Kansas, Missouri, the terri
tories and Colorado. Reaching and
| sweeping far beyond the confines of all
these, it will take in the whole United
States, until the retail dealers will
stand for self and freedom. 1 say that
L
tional trust, men who have helped to
build you up, to build up this country,
that are entitled to recognition and
respect and consideration, and none of
US have the right to stand here because
| we have good contract, and because of
some reasons unbeknown to others that
has made it pleasant for US, against the
interests of this vast body of retail i'm
plement dealers. United we stand,
| divided we fall. Life is but a battle,
and every one of you are soldiers or
towards. You will take the lance and
go forth to battle for the right, and he
| who falters may retreat to the rear; he
is unworthy of the name of retail
implement dealer. (Applause.) Gentle
men, in order that we may get this now
as a proposition for discussion before
this honorable body, I would like to
bring this resolution to your attention.
It is nothing that buds you; it is some
thing that puts you on your manhood
and your honor, and if you adopt it it
hurts no one, but makes better men and
larger and growing association of
implement dealers, and you will have
the respect OF the vast army Of imple-
ment dealers throughout the United
States. You are but the beacon light
to all these dealers, to all these associa-
tions. Right hurts nobody. Might
makes not right, and the man that
heeitstes to do the right stands in his
own light and in the light of others.
RESOLUTION OFFERED By E. r. MOSES.
I Resolved, That this association recon-