Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-04-14
LOCAL MERCHANT
4 bE::NE:FACT0R
1 Good Citizen and q Friend
In Need.
HONEST MEN GIVEN CREDIT.
He Would Rather Be Right Than
President-The Local Retail Mer-
chant Is Without Question the Com
munity's Most Prominent Factor.
Aids Farmer by Buying From Him.

copyrighted 1914, by Thomas J. Sulivan.]
l would rather be right than presi-
dent is the principle followed by many
retail merchants.
There is no right without parallel
duty, no liberty without the supremacy
Of the law. no high destiny without
earnest perseverance. no greatness
without self denial.
As a dispenser Of important services
III any town none compares with the
retail merchant.
Perhaps the first benefit OF impor-
lance is the endless accommodations
which he extends his customers. His
books show that where misfortune.
sickness or loss of occupation over
takes his customers he is frequently
obliged to carry them for many months.
Honest Men Get Credit.
The man who has not established
reputation for unreliability or dishon-
esty is reasonably sure of securing
credit for the asking. And the extern
sion of credit is equivalent to making
loans without interest. And who would
ask or expect any such favor of any
one but Il merchant or ii very close and
dear friend?
The local town to be Il desirable
place to live in must have police and
| fire protection. it must have bridges,
| improved streets, water. sewers and
good schools. TO secure these neces-
sary improvements and to maintain
them taxes must be levied. The local
merchant pays large share of the
taxes.
Among other things, the local mer
chant is continually forced to contrib
ute to all manner of charitable enter
prises. both public and private. He is
| the local benefactOr, inaSmuch as he is
the employer Of labor. Numerous
, young men and women find employ
ment in his store, and rs the result Of
his investment and efforts many dol
| lars find their way to the pocket Of the
doctor. the dentist. the editor. the
druggist and the banker. all of which
contributes to the social and financial
prosperity of the community.
r attn IN the community
He aids the farmer by buying from
! him his products to the extent of his
needs, thus increasing the profits Of
! the farmer.
| He has shown his faith in the COM
munity by investing his capital there.
| consequently his interests center there;
upon him, in a measure, depends the
,i,,l i,rt. Il,
mercial existence of the town, and he
! is ever willing to do his part.
All this being true, why is he not en-
titled to the same amount of consid
GRAFTON as that eXacted by the farmer
the wage Garner and the other factors
! of the community that are always cry
ing for fair treatment" and the right
to live"
Destroying Local Markets.
All he asks is that which is rightfully
his the opportunity to display his
goods and compare prices with those
shown in the misrcprrSented "pcture
albums" % the cAtHlogur houses be-
fore YOU send your money away from
home to bay something of the same
quality which he can sell just rs ,'heap-
ly us does The biz city merchant i,rincc
Tdhr away from tn" community one
Of the most important elements CT
prosperity. the medium Of exchange.
and the effect is inrvitahl"-H weaken
in@ of the organism. AnU that is pre-
cSr!y what the great mail order re
tail houses are doing. They are bleed
ing the local communities. They are
destroying local markets. weakening
local credits. reducing the volume OF
deposits in small local banks. starving
. ont local business men who are con-
$umers Of farm produrts as we'll as
Dealers driving to the large cities
thousands of consumers who can no
longer find employment in small
towns. and the men who are aiding
them in their work of destruction will
soon pay the penalty in the shrinknge
of the value of their property. as we'll
rs in the loss of their markets.
A Gigantic Monopoly.
That the managers of these gigantic
enterprises understand what they are
doing is amply demonstrated by IA re-
mark recently made by one of their
number in Chicago. He said. Give US
Il few more years ana we will make
every city outside Of Chicago II town.
every town il village. every village "A
hamlet. and every hamlet we will
wipe off the face of the earth"
What will the customers of the mail
order houses do then, poor things:
They will have given aid ANA comfort
10 the enemy that has destroyed thcit
prosperity. They will have assisted IT,
buildin@ mp Il gigantic monopoly. Sc
4 duccd by pretty picture books. they
VIII have in their innocence starved
ont their own best customers De
serted villages will then mark the
places where prosperous communities
Formerly thrived. and the population
Of the country will he divided between
the farms and the large cities Tbs
/ prospect is not n pleasant one to con-
template.
Frenchwomen In Business.
~ the EngiShwoman fails in b
ness that proves her inferior in one re
spect at least to her sisters across tn.
| channel. FrenchWomeu succeed a
shopkeepers. and many ntrgc business
eS are entirely under feminine co,itro.
| The difference between the two nation
alities in this respect is indicated b'
the name above the shop doors. VIII
ever saw MIR. and Mrs. -" above a
English shop? In Paris. however, M