The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-06-11
The Local Retail Merchant lis Without
Question the COmmunity's Most
Prominent Factor

lcopyrighted. 1914. by Thomas j. Sullivan
! would rather be right than pres
dent Is the principle followed by man
retail merchants.
There is no right without a parall,
duty, no liberty without the supremac
Of the law no high destiny withou
earnest perseverance. no greatnes
without self denial.
AS dispenser Of important service
In any town none compares with th
setail merchant
Perhaps the frst benefit of impol
tance is the endless accommodation
which he extends his customers. Hi
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 3
reputation for unreliability or dishOn
esty Is reasonably sure of securing
credit for the asking. And the exten.
sion Of credit Is equivalent to making
loans without interest. And who would
ask or expect any such favor of any
one but a merchant or very close and
dear friend? M E
The local town to be a desirable
place to live in must have police and
fire protection. 1t 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 benefact0r, inasmuch as he is
the employer Of labor. Numerous
young men and women find employ
ment In his store, and as the result Of
bis 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 socal and financial
prosperity of the community. F
Faith 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
social, religious. educational and COM
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 1.-THE right |
to liveY'
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 misrepresented picture
albums" Of the catalogue houses be-
'ore you send your money away from
home to buy something OF the same
luality which he can sell just as cheap
as does the big city merchant prince.
Take away from the community one
4 the most important elements OF
prosperity. the medium Of exchange.
nd the effect Is inevitable-a weaken
ng Of the organism. And that is pre-
isely what the great mail order re-
all houses are dOing.s They are bleed
ng the local communities. They are
estroying local markets. weakening
ocal credits. reducing the volume of
eposits In small local banks. starving ;
ut local business men who are con-
umers Of farm products as well as
callers. driving to the large cities ,
1ousands Of consumers who can no :
niger find employment in small
'wns, and the men who are aiding
lem in their work of destruction will 4
BON pay the penalty in the shrinkage
the value Of their property, as we'll ! !
In the loss of their markets.
A Gigantic Monopoly.
That the managers Of these gigantic
lterprises understand what they are =
ling is amply demonstrated by re- v
ark recently made BY one of their \
imber In Chicago. He said. "Give us "
few more years and we will make
cry city outside of Chicago town, .
cry town a village. every village a =
inlet, and every hamlet we will I
pe of the face of the EARTH
What will the customers of the mail :,
der houses do then. poor things; "
ley will have given aid and comfort :
the enemy that has destroyed their r.
osperity. They will have assisted in
ilding up gigantic monopoly. Sc S.
ced by pretty picture books. they al
i have in their innocence starved !.
their own best customers. De- "
ted villages will then mark the
ces where prosperous communities y y
merly thrived, and the population "
the country will be divided between :,
farms and the large cities. The n