The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-01-23
KANORR MAKES REPLY.
Says T.. w. Dabbs Evatlcd Point of
Ills Article, which Was to Increase
Confidence by Getting People to
Pay DcbS.
Editor Sumter Item.

My attention has been called to an
article in the press of the State by
Mr.. e. W. Dabbs, President of the
South Carolina State Farmers Union.
purporting to be a reply to my ar
ticles OF December Is and rs regard
ing payment of debts due from con-
sumers to retail merchants of the
South.
have very high regard for Mr.
Dabbs, and for his earnest work in
behalf of the state Farmers Union. |
am In hearty sympathy with the gen.
eral policy of the organization.
l know that Mr.. Dabbs is a man
OF unusual ability, but his article re-
minded me of the school boys first
rabbit hunt. He tracked the rabbit
all afternoon through the snow and
in the evening found to- his mortifica-
tion that he had been back tracking"
that he had been going in one direc-
tion and the rabbit in some other di-
rection all afternoon. l can not be-
lieve that Mr.. Dabbs considered his
article as in any sense a reply to my
articles in regard to payments of
debts or as anything else than a skill.
full evasion of the issue-a shrewd at
tempt to muddy the water" to hide
the real issue.
In his article of January 9th, he at
tempted to prove the absurdity of a
negative proposition, as a refutation
OF my article in which I attempted to
show the reasonableness Of the corre-
spending affirmative proposition.
He was trying to show the absurdity
of the entire elimination of credit
from business, to refute my articles
showing the Importance Of meeting
obligations incurred in buying goods
on credit, that the consumers credit
as well as that of the merchant may
be maintained.
In my article of December 18th,
stated the following question: "Goc ;
sold for cash only after January 1st"
wonder how the consumers Of the
State Of South Carolina would like to
see this sign over the doors Of most
of the retail stores of the State?"
This was merely asking the readers
opinion of situation that we can
| 4
not say it was a probable situation.
We did not say we believed it should
be brought about 1t was only sug-
gested as a possible extreme situa-
tion.
Taking up the above question as a
theme, my friend Mr.. Dabbs proceed
ed to back track Kanorr. What
a great thing it would be-" he goes on
to say, "for the farmers if the mer-
chants would take Mr.. Kanorr's ad-
vice. l wonder what advice he al.
ludes to. Quoting further, Let any
class reformer introduce bill to
make 1t misdemeanOr. -. to
sell any article. .. ..On credit"
Il wonder If he has considered what
would happen IL the merchant could
be persuaded to put such a sign
there" I wonder who is trying to
persuade him? Mr.. Dabbs seems to
be under the impression that l ad
Vised the merchants to eliminate cred
it business entirely. If Mr.. Dabbs
can find single sentence in either
Of my articles in which any logical
mind can see any ground for drawing
such conclusion, | will make HIM a
present Of a ten dollar bill.
In my article of December 2S, I
stated. Credit which plays so i'm
portant part in modern business is
founded on Confidence that con-
tracts will be kept or obligations me,
promptly" For merchants to re-
duce credit business SO per cent at
once would be crushing hardship to
many farmers and consumers Of the
South, but unless there is more CO.
operation between the consumers and
merchants. there will be more than
one-half reduction in credit business
in South Carolina in 1915"
Il believe that the farmer who pays
his debts, or who makes an earnest
enort to do so. or who plays fair with
the merchant and shows a willing
ness to a. what is right need have
no fear | did not advise merchants
To DO anything. ] merely stated what
] was convinced would be their fu
ture policy in view of present circum-
stances.
/ nc