The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-01-11
TWO SIDES OF A QUESTION.

Farmers Side of he Mail Order Prop
Osition. He said that he thought it
was mere business proposition for e
man to buy where he could buy the
cheapest and sell where he could sell
the dearest, that local merchants paid
the farmer jusS as little as possible for
their produce, that if they could get
potatoes from Colorado for less money
than the current price in Denison
they imported this potatoes, that they
employed labor just as cheaply as
possible and that if they heard of a
man in a neigh boring town who was
willing to work for less money they
would certainly give him employment
in preference to person living in Den
lsou. He further stated that in the
immense catalogue, the Mail Order
House presented to the farmer an OPP
portunity to ascertain the exact price
OF great variety of things which re
needed to buy; that the catalogue
further gave illustrations and descrip-
tions to suggest wants and the de-
sire to buy. He further declared that
he knew OF instances where he conla
buy more cheapty from the Mail Order
House and that he saw no reason why
he Should give the profit to iddle
men. He closed his argument by say
ing that local merchants demand trade
either by scoiding or whining and that
the abuse, either Of the Mail Order
House or Of the farmers and others
who trade with them, only confirmed the
farmers in the Mail Order habit.
We must confess that this is the first
time that we have heard the other
side of the question with su h freeness
aud irankness Ga the last propusi
lion advanced we agreed With our
farmer friend. 1t is u2 TO the local
merchant TO sell satisfactory goods as
leapiy as they can be purchased any
where. Ii is up. to the local merchant
not to complain, but to snow the peo-
pie. that their wants can be supplied
morequickly, smore satisfactorily and
jnstas cheaply at home as from Chica-
go or any other point. 1t does not sat-
isfy the farmer that he is receiving all
his goods as cheaply as possible, to
have merchant meet catalogue
price on some special occasion. If the
catalogue can be used as means of
"Jewing down" the local merchant,
the farmer will use it. In other words
the merchant must advertise and have
it generally known. not that he is
willing TO meet the Mall Order price
When Obliged 10, hut that his
prices are on par with the Mail
Order price at all times and on all ar
ticles. The merchant who can convince
the people OF this will have no difficult
ty in retaining their trade. Out side
OF this however we think our friend
not entirely just. The local merchant
and the townspeople generally do
afford good market for that which
the farmer raises. Farm lands lying
near town will nearly always bring a
higher price than lands farther out.
The local merchant is convenience
to the farmer in many ways, in time of
financial stringency it is the local
merchant who carries the account, il
is the local merchant who usually at a
loss to himself furnishes an open mar
ket for butter and eggs. it Is the local
merchant who must keep on hand the
thousand and one things that may be
needed at 9 momeuos notice to supply
the wants Of the family. If the farm
er's idea was carried to a logical con-
clusion our small towns would be
practically annihilated. There would
be immense overgroWn cities where
the population would De greatly con-
gesbed and where the labor market
would be at the mercy OF the employer
on account of such congestion. On the
other hand there would be farms sur
rounding little market stations. A
blacksmith, a wagon maker, an eleyat-
Or stock yards and very possibly the
saloon would be about all that would be
necessary for the n tsntaluapee OF such
a village, With the loc4i merchant
would 90 the local newsp per, for il
could not live, with tne local merchant
would ~ bne hotel for they would not
be necessary to accommodate the com
mercial travellers, with the local cer.
chants would go the banks as we have
them to-day, and with these other in
situations would go the High School:
and the majority of the churches. The
small town would be wiped out of ex
istence. This is the ultimate con
clusion of the doctrine that the farmer
should pay no profit to the local bust
ness man.. The doctrine, "buy where
AN buy the cheapest and sci