The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-02

Sumter working men, including car
penters. brick and tile layers, ma
chinists, and other skilled men corn
cred the managing secretary of the
Sumter Chamber of Commerce last
Saturday night, and handed him
some questions which gave the COM
mercial secretary all he could stand up
to for a few minutes to answer.
The first question propounded came
from brick and tile layer. accompan-
led by statement that the questioner
had on suit OF clothes and hat
which he had ordered from a mail or
der house In Chicago. The mail order
house purchaser who asked the first
question said in substance about as
follows: "Mr. Secretary I read that
'patronize home enterprise and home
merchants drticle In the Daily Item.
and 1 think II was a splendid argu-
ment. Did you write 1t? Being as
sured that the secretary was guilty,
the local working man replied. Wei
why Is II that Sumter workmen are
expected TO patronize Sumter business
houses to keep up Sumter, when so
many Sumter business men give con-
crete work, brick work. and tile roof
ing and other work TO contractors and
mechanics from other towns while
Sumter carpenters, concrete workory.
brick layers. and other skilled work
men pay che city "a license in some in
stances and I'm all instances the Sum-
ter working men rent houses or pay
board. many pay taxes of some kind?
He cited two instances OF this kind in
his own recent experience.
The managing secretary replied
with the question about as follows:
First. How much license or other
taxes does the mail order house in
Chicago that you purchased your suit
of clothes and hat from pay the city OF
Sumter? Does that mail order house
give any Sumter man or woman en-
ployment of any kind? Did you ever
get cents worth Of work from that
mail order house? How many thous-
ands of dollars have you made work
ing for Sumter merchants and other
business and professional men? Do
you think because you can cite two or
more instances OF professional and
business men giving work to out of
town workmen that this warrants you
In going back on all of the Sumter
merchants who mostly stand by the
sumter working men and women?
And that is the real beginning of
this mail order business. Two wrongs
do not make a thing right.
But this is also true. When q pro-
fessional man. banker. or merchant
makes his living from the masses OF
the people. and accumulates wealth
therefrom, sets the example Of spend
ing Sumter money out of Sumter. un-
necessarily. by sending off for his Ia
Dor. building material. clothing, gro
ceries. hardware, furniture, etc, he
creates ground OF dissatisfaction and
establishes among his fellow citizens
a FEELING of resentment and retalia-
tion.
One of the intelligent Sumter work.
ing men said that he was muct i'm
pressed with that portion of the pat
ronizo home enterprise article which
asked If mail order houses provide
any voters to vote for city and county
officials, and how many voters do
Sumter's mercantile and manufacture
Ing establishments provide To vote for
sumter city and county officials
While this voting phase savors of
Injection Of politics into business is
sues. and Is deplorable. ordinarily
nevertheless this feeling among sum
ter's working men that I. = men who
vote for Sumter city or county oln-
cinl should he recognized by the ofii-
cial whenever possible, simply goes to
prove that patronizing mail order
houses ana not spending Sumter
money In sumter" divides our Sum
ter people up into factions. while
spending Sumter money In sumter"
unites Sumter people i'm a spirit of
good Fellowship, friendship, and com
munity interest.
The "Iupu biph.r ,u," A., I,,,..i....
professional and financial affairs who