Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-05-17
Subscriptiou Rates.

The Enterprise has been asserting to
the printing on its ready print pages. re-
Gently. a series Of articles urging home
patronage instead Of mail-order house
patronage upon our readers. We have
no disposition to dissent from the general
proposition supported by these articles.
But it is very necessary for the reader to
separate the wheat from the chaff Of the
argument. There is in these articles las
there is apt to be in an argument that
starts out to support any specific position)
great deal Of unwarranted assumption
II not false statemen,-in short great
deal OF ''fap-doodle." which being inter-
preted means food for FOOLS
In this issue we give space to lengthy
counter communication. in criticism Of the
statements Of those articles and also in
criticism Of the whole position
Of tho wisdom Of trading with
the home merchant. And here. too
the reader will find tho same one-sided
view Of tho question. albeit the other side.
The reader will have to discriminate here
again between fap-doodle and fact.
There is no Justification for much tha,
Is stated both pro and con. Put
briefly. tho case amounts to this: There
Is Community OF interests" which
makes !; wise ior the producer and con-
suIner TO exchange their respective pro-
ducts primarily with those neares, at
hand. Il Is also true in this connection
that tho comforts and eonyenienees Of
modern lie arc best promoted by the do
velopment Of populous communities Of
reasonable size. so being capable Of con-
s;ruc;ing out Of their tax fund the public
equipment and out Of their personal
profits tho private agencies that make
life inviting. Hence the townsman and tho
farmer arc interested mutually In tho
material upsuildinr Of town and country.
This much no intelligen, person Is likely
to question. And every in.eligen. resi-
den, OF community will keep this con-
sidora;ion In mind In his business trans
actions.
On tho o;her hand. there Is no warrant,
In tho FREQ play Of justice and in:!.idaa!
freedom. for denying tho economic righ, Of
every man to sell the produe, Of his labor
In tho highest narse; and buy wha, he
wants in tho lowest Any interference
with this economic rule Is a violation Of
human rights. and may Justly DO resented
by anyone who seeks TO be a free man.
Every voluntary departure from this rule
Is a matter 70 be determined by tho par
teular bearings Of tho Undergraduates
Of individuals and communities.
!; would DO easy to 60 on for columns
OF space celebrating this subiee. and
pointing ou, tho fallaeios on both sides Of
tho argumon: presented by our contrib
u,ors. Perhaps as a matter Of education
would DO well worth while. Blu; our
space Is limited and wo mus. eon,en,
ourselves with Just a case or two in
point.
First then. thero Is no justification for
tho statements In tho Harris articles tha,
tho man who sends away from home for
goods for:o,s tho respee, Of the eommu-
nifty. No man forfei,s respect by simply
exercising his right.
Secondly. there Is no Justification for
Mr.. Bishops odious comparison Of tho
profits made and the clothes worn by tho
respective residents Of town and country.
Profits arc variable. As TO dress, ono
class may be dressing above their means
and the other beneath them. but tho
probability Is that each is wearing what
seems to best suit their situation and
employments; and in any case |, is none
Of the other party's business and has no.
thing to do with the arugmons It is no.
argument, and I'LL were not tho obliga-
ton Of newspaper to give both sides a
hearing all such "Hap-doodle" should be
cut out.
As to trusts and combines: They are
being worked everywhere, in the town
and country. The farmer forms his as
soeistiors Of podueers to limit production
and put up prices beyond what the free
play OF industry would make them. The
grocer does the same. Both work an
injustice 70 the consumer. But then the
consumer himself is a producer in some
other line.and therefore in a trust Of some
other sort. And so long as we believe
that the universal good is gained by the
artificial barriers devised by and for tho
special profit Of the individual we shall 90
on abusing one another for not being
caught by our particular trick" Of trade.
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