The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-04-22
Small Retailers
To Help Curb
Fear Ruin at Hands Of Big
Competitors and Ask
For Protection.

CRY for help from 100000 retail
"a merchants, representing every
IN state In the Union, has been
voiced to President Wilson. 1t
In more than that-it Lis n fight for self
preservation, for, say these 100000
merchants, they face destruction at the
hands of the mail order houses In the
big cities.
Chosen as their spokesman, J. II.
Moorehead OF Lexington, Mo, himself
a retail merchant, recently appeared
before the president and presented to
him facts regarding the retailers po-
sition In the business world.
Mr.. Moorehead stated that his visit
was the result OF a conference held
In Chicago on Dec. Is last, which con
sisted Of representatives from retail
associations OF butchers. grocers, jew
elers, druggists, plumbers, hardware
dealers. implement dealers, lumber
dealers and coal dealers.
.'Those who have sent me here said
Mr.. Moorehead, 'have been encour-
aged to take this step by what you
have recently had to say In your book
entitled The New Freedom In which
You have set forth In the last chapter
thereof more fully than I can hope to
do just what the small business men
and the smaller towns of the country
are now In most need of.
Leaders In Upbuilding.
Il believe you win agree with me
when l say that the retail merchants
Of the many thousands of communities
In our country are In the forefront OF
every good work and purpose which
tends to the building up of the com
munities In which they live.
There Ia no presented In any
community anywhere In which the re
tail merchant IL not the first upon
whom a demand is made, and he Is
more often than not the leader Of the
movement In every good work that
goes to make n town and the surround
ing country prosperous and contented.
This Is the only class OF our citizenship
that really lends any great sum Of
money solely upon personal security.
! refer to that universal practice OF
extending credit to the consumer.
There are twice as many people liv-
ing in the smaller cities, towns and vii
lagos as i've In our fifty great cities.
The home market Of our farming pop
ulation. living about these smaller
cities and towns. Is Just twice as great
Is the city market, and yet we hear
much that would lead one to believe
that all Of the people IN this country
to be fed by the producers on the farm
are to be found In the great centers,
where the high cost Of living seems
now, more than ever, the one great
thing talked about and to be consid-
cred. Yet the fact Is the home market
Of the farmer is his largest and best
market, right at his door, where he
can bring his produce every working
day In the year and sell 1t to the GUS
toner direct without the Intervention
Of any middleman whatsoever and Sc
cure therefor every cent without any
profit Of commission to any middleman
Whatsoever.
Nail Order Methods.
"And yet, Mr.. President, for the last
tan or twenty years there has been car
ried on In this country such a cam
pqtgn Of advertising, education, mis-
representation and denunciation Of the
refill merchants, who are neighbors,
friends and kinsmen of the people Of
IL towns and surrounding country. to
ouoh m extent that there are millions