Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-06-13
TAKE THIS TO YOURSELF.

The retail merchants in your community very
often has much less at stake there than you have,
says the Retailers Journal.
\ The prosperity or lack Of prosperity of the COM
munity may mean much less to him than it does to
you
His investment in your community may be repre-
sented entirely by the stock Of goods he is carrying
I Ii your particular community does not afford him
prosperity according to his necessities it is COM
! paratively simple matter for him to close out his
stock and go elsewhere, taking with him that part
OF the prosperity OF your community which his capi
tai added to it.
II you are farmer, let us say-since we are writ
ing Of mail order house patronage, and agrcuItursts
are very large patrons of the mail order institutions
your holdings in your community represent many
thousands Of dollars that its continued prosper
ty is vital most vital-to your own prosperity.
1t is trne that many retail merchants have proper
ty interests in the communities in which they live in
addition to their mercantile interests. It is true al
so that many mail order house patrons have small
financial interests Of any kind.
| 1t may be safely stated, however, that the inter-
ests OF the average farmer, who is the great cata
lOgue house patron, are more closely bound mn in
the welfare Of his community than are the interests
Of the average retail merchant.
1t must be plain, then, that you who have much
at stake in your communities are placing response
bility ON the wrong shoulders when you demand
that in order to retain your patronage merchants
who have comparatively little at stake shall com.
pete in the assortment al stocks and TO the exact
dollar and cent in prices, with some millionaire
merchant 10 . distant city.
II your local merchant be honest, and if he be
making an ehOrt, fairly, to supply your needs as
lar as II lies within his power it s to your interest
that yOukhOuln encourage him by every means you
possess, not only to remain in your community bat
to expand his business to further meet the require
ments OF your community instead OF placing upon
him the burden Of gratifying your every whin that
you may be induced 10 keep at home the portion OF
your money that belongs there a. amy event.
We say to yOu, therefore, thatit Ii your duty to
yourself to purchase within your own community
every dollars worth Ol goods Azbt ID possible for
You TO buy there ct price within reason; that il is
your duty to yourself % give your home merchant
an opportunity TO order goods for yOn that be may
mot have In stcck that il is your duty TO yourself TO
help your home merchant enlarge and widen the,
scope Of his business % rapidly as possible.
Il yOu cannot buy certain kind OF goods in your
own community, II il your duty 70 yourself TO join
with your neighb0rs in search for an enterprising
merchant who will como into your community with
Dis capital and handle that particular line Of goods.
At one time or another you may have contributed
. bonus 70 bring manufacturing establishments 60
your community. The retail merchant in a smaller
way, is - important factor ii the prosperity Of
your community e the manuiaCter- sometimes Z
more stable one; he Y necessary pars of ths whole
And ne asks no bonus but your encouragement
and the share Of your trade which legitimatey be-
longs 70 you TO give to him.
Colonel Dupont, the Dslawaro powder man, IL 20.
70 the United States senate. "a would take more
TO disturb the slow going, lesursly IouneiDe con
servatism Of that body.
Don't you worry, graduates, about those gibes
and filings. Every fellow who ID making 'em would
give nearly al be has 10 commence over at COM
nsncemsnt ne once more And probably do things