The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-02-07
THE FARMERS AND CANTON.

Adam Steffy of near Zimaville, Ohio,
was in Canton Tuesday renewing his
subscription to the Morning News.
Mr.. Steffy congratulated the News on
its firm stand in the interest of the
farmers, and he stated that he did not
fully realize the work the paper had
undertaken and accomplished since he
visited this city and investigated the
condition of affairs. He is convinced
that Canton affords better market
than it has before for products and
lower prices for the goods farmers
need. Mr.. Steffy states that outside
of radius of a few miles of the city,
where people have been very conver-
SAINT with affairs, that the farmers
are just getting on to the facts of the
situation in Canton, and it is only re-
Gently that they have discovered the
effort upon the part Of some of the
merchants who have attempted to run
the business of the city by cliques
and have been against the News be
cause of it's independent attitude in
insisting upon treating all persons
uiihN' llC DtittO ludI lHc Ol
the paper in catering to the thousands
OF people who are the subscribers in
place of the few who have been taking
advantage of the many is what has
made the paper and will cause it to
continue increasing in prosperity anc
usefulness. He stated that the farm.
ers are beginning to realize that thr
News is one or the very few papers
that can be called a friend of its
readers and a paper not controlled b.
elements that have been taking advan
tage OF the common people and espe
cially the farming community.
In this connection it might not be
out of place for the News to state
that at future date it will give a
history of the cause of one of the
fights that it has undertaken, and give
authentic details of conference OF
certain merchants, before whom the
principal owner of the paper was call
that the paper had to continue a policy
that had been followed before that
period in refusing to advertise for any
person who was Objectionable to 9th
ers. in that line of business in this
city, who themselves had formed an
organization to act as a unit. Some OF
the instigators of this program went
so far as to demand call of the bust
ness interests of the city to threaten
a boycott on the News If 1t did not de-
Isist from it's efforts in the direction oi
tfreer trade. The good common sense
of the business interests of Canton
however, came into play, and a fiat
footed refusal was given together witt
some good advice which If it had been
heeded,, would have been much to the
advantage of several business insti
tutions of the city. The publication OF
these facts can do no harm at the
present time for the reason that the
fight Is over. and the News has won
out to the mutual benefit of those who
purchased goods and those who have
goods to sell, and Canton's retail trade
has increased fully so per cent since
this change has been accomplished
One of the powerful factors that
retarded the growth of foreign trade
in Canton was the influence of whole
sale houses that supplied dealers in
towns adjacent to this city. The in
huence of such institutions was al
ways thrown in such manner that
would aid in having the country people
| trade at the small country stores that
| bought from the Canton wholesale
houses in place of coming to Canton
and dealing direct. This powerful in
fiuence dominated the mercantile cir
cles of Canton, and as much as any
thing throttled the trade legitimately
belonging to the city. The introduc
ton of suburban electric lines and new
business blood in the city, together
with the good hard sense of its enter
prising merchants eventually over
came this fateful influence that hat
done so much to retard the trade Of
| Canton.