The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-03-05
MAIL OR
DER EVILS
Advertising In Local Pa
pers the Best Way TO
Combat it.


four pound catalogues sent broad.
cast over the land by the
houses located in the big cities
and which, strange to say, refuse
to sell goods to the residents of
the big cities in which they are
located. There is no mysterious
element in these bulky paper
books. From cover to cover they
are filed with pictures and with
PRICES and descriptions of goods.
The power of printers ink is
the only magnet. and this magnet
can be used by merchants every
where. The publishers of these
great catalogues do business rum
ming we'll up toward the fifty
millions yearly. All their success
has been in the ink they use and
the way they use it. Because
these concerns receive patronage
that should go to the home mer-
chant it is the. home mechant's
fault. He neglects to do what
the houses which publish the big
catalogues do. He may not have
the money to get out such "A great
list, neither the means of carry
ing great stocks of goods. Yet
he possesses all the means neces-
sary to gain the trade that goes
to these great concerns. He can
buy goods just as low, has less ex-
pense, and while the big catalogue
goes to customer onl y once in
year or two, through the medium
of tine local newspapers the mer-
chant can go to all the people of
the community once a week and
at the lowest expense.
AS to the matter of prices, the
big catalogue is an educator. 1t
tells the people of values. These
values are associated with classes
of goods. The merchant in the
home town can turn tins informa-
tion to own account. In the
are pictures. The
can show the goods and
can explain the difference between
grades. 1t is evident that if
trade is to be held at home it must
be upon business basis. Sentl-
ment cuts mighty small figure
in matters where dollars and cents
are concerned. Tie average
farmer would rather buy goods
from the home store than from
some distant place, if he is only
sure that he is getting square
deal. 1t is up to the merchants
TO let him know that he is getting
this square deal.
The towns in the western agri-
cultural sections which u few
years ago were getting only half |
the trade that vas to be had In
the district. Merchants became
that they were weak
somewhere. They found that
they were not advertising rightly
and commenced campaign which
las resulted in driving the
catalogue houses out of business as
'ar as these towns are concerned. |
The newspapers Of these places
5ell of the enterprise of the mer-
chants. The merchants them
selves will tell you that they do
not fear the mail order houses, as
jhey have educated the people to
lrade at home. The people who
we're mail order house patrons
will cell you that they know that
5hey can do better by buying at
nome, that they ure convinced
that their interests are best pro-
,ected by the home merchant and
hat since they have thrown off
he mail order habit they are
saving more money. The order
house is great bugaboo. 1t is
lot near the evil that many sup
pose 1t is, 1t is harmful only in
accordance with the lack of enter
Prise on the part of the home mer-
chants. Where the merchants are
awake, are up-t0-date and adver.
Use rightly, there Is no complaint
rs to the mail order system.
The live merchant can hold his
,wn. Business is based upon such
principles as give the competent
merchant fair show in the
for trade. No one
,erson has monopoly of the right
% avertise. The way is as open