The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-10-22

messengers. all climes her tributaries,
all people her servants.
A statesman may do much for COM
merce-most by leaving 1t alone. A
river never flows so smoothly as when
it follows its own course without
either aid or check. Let 1t make its
own bed; it will do so better than you
can Perfect freedom is as necessary
to the health and vigor of commerce
as it Is to the health and vigor Of citi-
zenship.
For years the men who sway the
minds and mold the opinions of the
public-the magazine and newspaper
writer's and political leaders have
with all the power and invective at
their command pointed out the ne
farious practice Of what they termed
'big business" and "the interests. :"
These titles were bestowed upon them
simply to designate them as concerns
which combined their capital for the
purpose of Illegally controlling either
one industry or another.
Writers Should Look Further.
No man will dispute the fact that
residents of small prosperous com
munities where general business is
carried on do not enjoy pronounced
advantages over the people living in
cities where the population is con-
gested.
But the pnblicists who are holding
the big interests" up to the scorn of
human mind should look further, as
there is new big interest" appearing
upon the financial horizon which
threatens to eclipse anything which
has yet appeared, We refer to the
catalogue and mail order retail traders,
AS an example we will take one OF
the large mail order houses Of Chicago,
and little meditation will show what
its business means to the small town.
It Is capitalized at the enormous
amount Of $5O,O00.0OO. sold at 500 per
share; $1OOOO,OOO is preferred stock,
and $40.0OO.0OO Is common stock.
Paid II Per Cent Dividend.
We are credibly informed that this
concern did S10OOO0.OOO worth Of busi-
ness in the year 1918 and paid divi-
dend Of II per cent. Wouldn't these
figures appall you? Ought that not to-
be material for the pen of the muck
raker." Or are the magazines silenced
by the counting receipts for advertis-
ing?
Where did this $10OOO0.OOO come
from? 1t came from the consumer
everywhere between the waters Of the
Atlantic and the shores OF the Pacific,
from people who prefer buying cheap
goods" from picture book rather than
good goods over the counters Of their
retail merchants.
And what return does the big cor
poration give the local town for the
money that 1t takes out Of 1t? None
1t delivers the cheap goods. and that
Is all.
Cash Controls Shipments.
1t sells only for cash. II money
does not accompany the order the
goods are not shipped. Your financial
reverses. sickness or other misf0rtunes
do not concern 1t.
Mail order houses are merely teaches
In the side Of industrial humanity.
They drain the small community Of
Its dollars. and. weakened by the iosR
Of its financial strength. the, local town
totters and falls Il victim Ut the greed
of the new big business"
Many persons lose sight Of tine fact
that business enterprise is not neces.
sarily an octopus simply betauSe II is
engaged In what is sneeringly called
by many big business or beH.anse II
employs large amount OF capital. A
mammoth corporation may be conduct
ed on as correct business principles
and can be as regardfui Of the rights
Of competitors and the general public
as Is the humblest establishment own
ed and conducted by an individual, II
Is the motive that inspires the manage.
ment In each case and the methods
adopted In carrying out the controlling
policy that determine the morality or
immortality. the right or wrong, the
justice or injustice, Of its claims to
public confidence and support.
Should Unite Against Evil.
( But the case is not hopeless one.
Let the business and professional men
the merchants. lawyers. doctors,
teachers. preachers. farmers and labor
ers-join In spreading abroad the evan.
gel OF ethics in business. fair dealing
and rational cooperation, and great
progress can and will be made toward
the settlement Of the yexing questions
that now confront the business world.
The evil which Il bound to follow in
the wake OF the rnew big business
ought to furnish food for thought and
cause the needless mail order buyer to
pause and consider before again Of
tending.