The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-05
BUYING AT HOME.
IL Is Good Business and q Money Saw.
ing Proposition rs Well as Pa.
triOtic Duty.
Editor Sumter Daily Item:

In your issue of the 25th appeared
merce. to the people of Sumter coun-
ty to support and preserve domestic
enterprises, to which, if you will allow
me space l would add a few words.
l shall not dwell upon the loyalty,
liberality and patriotism Of the Sumter
merchants (under this name 1 mean to
include bankers. doctors, lawyers, etc)
because this fact is universally known
and highly commented upon. but there
are other reasons which should make
our communal unity more cohesive, or
as is said, stick closer. which the
Sumter merchant is trying to make
the people understand.
Antiquated methods Of business,
farming or professional practices
must of necessity be replaced with
modern science. Results can only be
obtained If we understand the under
lying principles Of things from the
bottom.
Every enterprise nowadays must be
conducted upon scientifically econom-
ic principles. Not only must they
have good doctors. brilliant lawyers,
alert bankers and energetic mechants,
having money for their patrons, able
to treat the sick, defend their clients
and having goods for sale. Not only
must they have the right goods at rea.
sonable prices and conveniently ar.
ranged for the purchaser, but they
must also bend every effort at their
command for the welfare, health,
prosperity and social development of
the community, who are their patrons,
because they are part and parcel of
this same community with which they
either suffer or prosper. In this re-
spect the Sumter business district is
acutely alive to the very situation and
there Is no stone left unturned in any
avenue you meet them.
Aside from their liberality and pa
triotism, they leave nothing undone
from a scientifically economic stand
point. Hence it was they who bought
cotton for 1Oc when the market VAL
ue was &C, it was they who built
warehouse for non marketable cot
ton, provided facilities for marketing
farm products, built roads, schools,
churches and turn dust, sand and
rock, split water in search for good
roads upon which the entire farming
interests, as well as the entire labor
Ing, merchandising and other compa-
triot may safely get over the mire of
stagnation and reach the planes of
prosperity.
1t is time that the purchasing pub
lie should understand as we'll as the
selling public knows Cor should
know Of their interdependence, that
the more they help those with whom
they constantly associate the more
they help themselves.
1t should be understood that the
Sumter business district does not ask
patronage for sentimental reasons, or
patriotic motives, but for the simple
reason that they are progressive, un-
derstand the law of interdependence.
They do everything in their power to
help their fellow neighbors, farmers
as WILL as others, because they know
that their welfare depends on
their farmers and neighbors, hence it
Is for their own benefit to look after
their neighbor's prosperity, that is the
reason which has prompted them to
become so expert in their respective
lines to withstand any competitions
In quality Of goods as we'll as prices.
not only against mail order houses,
tut any catalogue dealers in the
country. giving the purchaser the ad-
vantage In prices and selection of
goods before they purchase instead of
ordering from catalogues and invari-
ably getting something unexpected.
This has been proven time and again
whenever the purchasing public has
enough elf-consciousness to confide
in their friends and their negihbors.
Only recently one Of the hardware
stores in this town saved q consumer
$500 on one scale against a cata-
logue house. Many other instances
can be cited to prove that as soon as
the public understands their own in
terests they become home patronizers
for their own benefit.
The sooner the people will come to
understand and realize that the mer-