The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-08-09
PAYS TRIBUTE
TO TRAVELLERS
STUART F. REED, SECRETARY OF
STATE, WEST VIRGINIA, PAYS
FINE TRIBUTE TO THE AMERI-
CAN COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER
IN SPEECH,

at Tie SlaIe CONVENTION OF the Glu-
cons Of West Virginia one of the prin-
cipal speakers was Stuart F. Reed,
secretary Of state. The tribute he paid
to the American commercial, traveller
on that occasion has been freely com
mented upon by members of the craft
Wherever newspaper reports carried
this address. On account Of the gen.
eral interest, the leading features Of
the address are herewith given:
America was the stage destined to
receive the actors in the new world
drama. For centuries individual
initiative had been struggling to
break the manacles which ancient
custom, blind mediocrity and hopeless
stupidity had riveted upon human per
sonal1ty. America was discovered and
at once became the vast, turbulent
tlreless battlefield of men to work out
a tremendous destiny. Nowhere else
says James Bryce, the great English
statesman, has such free scope been
allowed men to organize themselves,
to start enterprises and to try social
as we'll as economic experiments
LAS a result there have been develop
ed some well-defined types of Ameri-
can Observation-Disclosures Of brain and
character which could not have been
evolved in any other country or any
other age. We receive men from the
ends of the earth and put them into
the hopper n grind out an tAmeri-
can product At times it seems a
considerable strain on the hopper but
the results have been interesting, if
not altogether satisfactory. The su-
IRENE ask Of developing types goes
on and nc one knows when it will be
finished.
tErN1N -@-z.-
duct of the American spirit and age.
The term drummer as applied to the
commercial traveller, is purely an Am
erican cognomen. America did not
exactly originate him, but she dis
covered his possibilities and perfected
him. He illustrates a mighty principle
in our life and times.
Some misguided people seem to
have the impression that the average
commercial traveller is a sort of q
peregrinating Beau Brumnel.' or
humorist, whose life Is one long, dizzy.
%carousal of mirth and JOY. They. sup
pose that he spends at least half his
time entertaining charming Villages
bellies, while the rest of his waking
hours are divided between accepting
invitations to dine with prosperous
merchants, anxious to purchase the
entire output Of his firm, or drawing.
on the house for funds with which
to finance his, questionable ,ostenta-
tions and satisfy his social and bihu-
lous Instincts.
'"The man who accepts this descrip-
ton as the true picture of the TWEEN
tieth Century American commercial
traveller evinces his ignorance of the
science n art OK modern salesman
ship. . -sg-.@ IA =. ....-.
THE brightest minds and highest
types Of character that commerce a
command are put 'on the road
THE modern commercial traveller
must be a diplomat in an age of
diplomacy. His fertile brain must be
a repository carrying the history of
morrow. He must be a tactician with
out treachery. He must have sagacity
without sophistry. gumption without
guile, courage without cowardice and
wisdom without weakness.
With confidence in himself and his
wares, he must be tolerant, of the
opinions Of others and fight his bat
ties with the one best weapon yet dis
covered by man. This weapon is
neither a college diploma nor a gallon
of gall. 1t is plain old~-fashioned com
mon sense. Someone has said that
wisdom was just ommon sense in
uncommon quantities.
1.-THE commercial traveller is Am
erica's cosmopolite. He represents the
commercial elixir that circulates in
the vascular system of the body pol1-
tic. With a sort of unchaIlenged and
sublime right OF eminent domain he
sweeps into the country carrying the
ecIat and mannerisms of the great
city and then swings back to the city
with the ma of the country<in his
SAM nna & the uipnr# re rnR,,,.n# -, q Ia
veins.
I'll is the leaven Of the masses. He
unites the north, the south, the east
and the west into one great brother
hood and, with golden chains of COM
merce.' binds them together In mutual
interest.
H has a heart as strong as a
mountain oak and as tender as aroma
of the violets of springtime.
1.-THE deserving poor and the dis
couraged wayfarer never appeal to
MIN In vaine.
But lie you are running d bluff, you
had better try 1T on some pious dea-
con. Do not%spring it on a drummer,
He has an intuition like a weather
prophet.
He can scent a sham ten miles
away and car see the color OF a human
character through a hide as thick as
a rhinocerous pelt.
While the commercial traveller is a
most important factor in commerce,
we must not lose sight of his other
attributes.
The is a school master of the new;
sdispensation,' dissemination Of ideas.
The man or the party held in uni
4versal disfavor by the travelling men
sof America Is doomed to defeat.
IF I wanted to found a new religion
or a new party, and could be assured
that Americas 100000 travelling sales
men would accept Its tenets, become
united in their support and pro-
pagandists for its growth, I would not
doubt any ability to 500 plant its
beacons on every hill and plaster it's
principles over all the valleys OF this
great continent.
a"A few years ago the cry went forth
from the Christian churches that we
were about to impoverish the life and
literature of the age by rleglecting the
one great monument of literature-the
Bible. Att was no longersTeadSor taught
In the leading schools OF the country,
Ministers prayed about il, the Ladies'
Aid argued about its taesdeacons and
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