The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-07-15
SHALL THE COUNTRY
TOWN CEASE TO EXIST2
Evils of Capitalization Can Be
Overcome Only by De-
Capitalization.
BT o. A. CHARLES.

In this country we are face to face
with great economic question that
involves the very existence of every
country town in the United States.
For more than generation the
cities have grown at the expense OF
the country until the congestion OF
population in those huge aggregations
of humanity has become a menace to
the perpetuity of the nation. Human
degeneracy ending in pauperism and
crime nave proved to be the newt.
able consequence Of substituting the
tenement for the home and rearing
children In the alleys and on the
asphalt instead OF In the midst Of
gardens and green fields.
The increasing tendency OF crime
in cities has become recognized
fact. The type of citizens bred in an
or vironment from which the human.
iEing influences Of nature have been
shut out loses all human sympathy
and furnishes material for mobs that
promise to some day repeat in the
streets Of every American city the
fiendish atrocities of the French rev.
olution. Is there no remedy? What
then is the antldote for this social poi.
son? There is an antidote-a pre-.
ventative and cure, and there is but
one-it is decentralization.
Trade must be de-centraized.
Industry must be de-centalized.
Commerce must be de.centralized.
Decentralization must be the watch.
word of stupendous national move
ment that will take hold of the pa.
triotic impulses and grip the heart
strings of the people of this nation.
one OF two things is COINS to hap
pen to this county The already over
grown and congested cities will con.
tlnue to rob the country towns OF
their trade and population and to alb.
Borb larger proportion of the popu.
lation until destruction faces the ma.
ton, or the economic forces that have
been sweeping humanity and industry
into the great cities will be checked
and reversed and thousands of small
Industrial centers and country towns
and villages will absorb the rapidly
increasing millions who comprise thu
vast army of industry. Which will
! you have? President Roosevelt said
II would rather the country be mad,
| up of a great number of flourshinl
small towns and villages than to Sc,
immense cities grow at the expense
of rural communities" The inau
ences and forces that are at work l.
promote trade Capitalization and /
absorb into the cities the work O
commercial distribution now done b
the county merchants are most II
genIously appealing to the cupidity c
the rural people.
TO convince them that the onl
question inolved Is the alleged advaI
tage Of wholly eliminating the coul
try merchant as a distributing agenc
It IL contended that the country me
chant makes a profit on all the good
he sells and that his customers coul
save that profit to themselves b
trading with the big cities throug
the postofice instead OF at the hon
store.
In nne cases out OF ten goods o
dcrod by mail from catalogue a
things considered, including qualit
, cost the customer more than g0oC
bought nj the country store Gf,er
= personal insDec ion. In the RAJ
. cases where small Immediate sa
p ing might be made by tradir
[ through the pos Office for every eel
so saved. then is a larger direct lot
/ that viii IN the long run come bac
like boomerang to the postom,
trader
This Is true when nothing Is co
sidered but the purely selfish effe
2 OF this act upon ones own profit M
: property interest, Market and far
( values roads schools and the tho
Q sand and one social relations al
!. community advantages that exert
q reflex action on farm life.
:, The home market Is the best ms
kei fol the farmer as we'll as the m
chanic laborer and all othe" peopI
y Governor Folk OF Missouri once sal
II have no use for the mail ord