Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-06-03
WHERE Do YOU BUY?
Home Trading Is Next to the
Very First Law of Nature.
STAND BY YOUR OWN TOWN.
What Two Well Known Writers Think
Of Mail Order Traders--Some Food
For Reflection by Woman Who Buys
Through the Catalogues.

""oe W. Voil NHoWH VTlbcFS Y ulT
!, Of Mail Order Traders--some Foo
d For Reflection by Woman Who Buy
Through the Catalogues.
We are face to face with the ia,
that the commercial strength of til
country town, the natural social an
business center of every rural con
munity, is being gradually undermine
by the peculiar" competition of tn
so called catalogue houses In the large
cities. Last year at least $250O00,OO
that should have gone to the. retai
merchants Of the middle west was sen
away from home to these mail orde
concerns. This is serious. 1t is dou
bly, serious because it Is q cash bust
ness and a continual drain on tn,
finances of the whole rural community
for none of it ever comes back. Th,
money that the farmer or the wag,
Garner spends with the retail merchan
In bis home town remains In circula
tion In the neighborhood, but the money
sent away Is like so much lifeblood
lost to the community. 1t cannot ever
be reached by the tax collector to be
made to bear its share Of the cost OF
public improvements and public pro.
lection.
Every good citizen owes allegiance,
first, to his family; second, to the COM
muhity in which he lives, and, third,
to the nation. This is the theory, ac-
cording to Richard A. Haste, a well
known writer on home trade topics.
But when the nation is in peril and
calls for help men sacrifice both family
and friends for the nations good. We
call this patriotism. And the first
duty Of the loyal citizen is to the ma
ton, for 1t embraces both the COM
munity and the family welfare.
We don't think much of the men who
ran away to Canada to escape their
duty during the days Of the civil war.
We don't think much of the woman
who neglects her family that she may
entertain her friends. Selfishness.
when home is the object, is almost a
virtue. What are we to think of peo-
pie who pass up their town and do
their trading in the cities In the hope
or saving few cents? If they live in
the town, If they be lawyers doctors.
preachers, teachers, bankers or COM
mon wage earners, 1t is from the town
they get their living; If they be farm
ers, 1t Is the town that affords them
markets and the good things Of mod
ern civilization, and, more than that,
It Is the town that gives value to their
farms. What shall we think Of such
people If they deliberately ignore the
allegiance they owe to the community
or protection and the very bread they !
'at and send their money, some of |
Which may come directly from the |
public purse, as in the case Of school |
eachers, to the cities for the things
hey can get at home? What shall we
hink Of them2
This Is what William Allen White
links of them in Emporia, Kan. 1t is
traight talk, but is has the ring of
God sense in it:
"The man who buys his goods of a
lail order house and expects his
eighbors In Emporia to buy goods of
i'm or buy labor Of him or to buy
service Of him is econom-
ally a leech. He is sucking industrial
lood out of the town and gives none
ack He sends his profits out Of
'wn like a Chinaman and has 40
ore right to a standing In the COM
unity than a foreigner. We are all
eighbors industrially in this town,
Id the man who sends away for his
'ods Is not one Of us. He Is of an
her industrial system and deserves
mans support in Emporia."
What is true Of Emporia, Kan, is
ue Of every other town In the United
ates. One of the primal obligations
~ good citizen owes to the commu-
ty In which he lives is that Of recip
cal trade. 1t is only thus that the
interests Of the country
n be maintained.
This buying Of catalogue houses and
rough soap clubs is q fad that has
own up In the commercial garden
e rank weed. 1t grew and -four
led because there was no attempt
lde to keep the garden clear of such
owths. People have been so busy
out other things that they simply
got the obligations they are under
their neighbors and to themselves
a community. And even since
ire has been a marked awakening to
need for civic improvement, for
Ilding up the Industrial and ethical
erests of the home town, the work
seem to have overlooked the most
portant feature of it all-the protec-
a OF the retail trade of the home
reliant.
he women's clubs all over the coun-
have been doing a remarkable
TX In molding public sentiment
ng right lines. They have been
1ers in movements for identifying
home, the streets and the town
~ have led the fight for better san.
ion and In many localities are Il |
emit force for honesty In municipal ]
irs. But as yet they have not
en- up the protection of the life of
home town, on which the success
all their other measures must de-
d.