Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-12-28
THE CREDULITY
OF MANKIND
Catalogue Houses QuaCk Doc
tors Of Commerce.
PROMISES, NOT GUARANTEe
a Mail Order House Baron Never
Stoves His Patent Leather Shoes Un.
der a Poor Mans Tabie-his Victims
Extend From Ocean to Ocean-From
Sunrise to the Last Chance.


der Poor Mans Tsbie-his Victim.
Extend From Ocean to Ocean-Fron
Sunrise TO the Last Chance.
copyrighted, 1914 by Thomas J sullivan.
Said clever quack 10 a painstakine
business man, How many OF the pass
Ing multitude, do YOU suppose. appre
ciate your honesty OF understand the
lmpositions of puackeryY'
Not more than one in ten" was the
answer
Well said the quack, you may
have the one. m rake the nine.
That is the system upon which the
mail order houses operate. and nothing
more strikingly portrays the credulitS
Of mankind than their success Quack
cry is thing universal and uniyer
sally successful. Ia most cases 1t Is
literally true that no imposition is too
great for the creduity OF man.
The Quaek Doctor Of Commerce.
The retail mail order house is the
Quack doctor OF commerce. II prom
ses much and guarantees nothing
Like patent medicines. the directions
are always on the inside, and you must
buy a nonreturnable package before
you can find out what they are.
The mail order house never helped
10 build the little white school ia your
district or turnpike the road past your
door No mail order house ever took
you by the hand when you were in
distress and told you to let the little
account run until after harvest next
year No mail order house ever sold
you vehicle and spent every cent of
It's profits in the community where
you and your neighbors could get it
all back again No mail order honse
ever showed It's patent leather shoes
under your table and reioiced with YOU
when you were glad nor spoke Gu
couraging words when afiilction visited
you, nor stood with uncovered head
beside the graves Of your children
Sentiment Is Unknown.
That the mail order houses are after
your money is an undisputed fact.
Every dollar sent 10 them leaves your
neighborhood forever The mail order
house may bear upon its face the
semblance Of friendship, but no human
heart beats under its cloak Of hypoc
risy Sentiment 10 it is unknown
The whole institution is as cold and
0loOdless As a corpse
There never was farm ia all
Christendom whose value was increas
ed by the mail order houses They are
parasites 10 which life is worthy OF
notice only while they can draw the
financial blood out Of the communities
10 the uphuilding or which they con
tribute nothing They create no local
market for the product OF the farms
They have no property in the country
which can be assessed 10 help bear the
burden OF taxation
Can Duplicate Every Offer
In every town in the country Tie 10.
cal retail merchant stands ready 10
duplicate every Offer scductivclN set
forth in the catalogues Of mail order
best trick the mail order house ever
played If you will put down spot cash
and accept from him class of goods
devoid OF respectable ancestry and
upon which no reputable manufacture.
srs name can be found. but in which
the disease germs of prison made goods
are secreted.
he can sell cheup goods il YOU Viii
buy them from him with your eye,
shut He can meet the best price
ever made by a mai order house II
you will plank down your money ana
accept what hc gives sou without
question and without recourse. But
YOU must not expect him TO be in his
place OF business every day in the
year. ready and willing 10 make good
any defect, ready and willing 10 stand
back OF every article he sells with his
own reputation and the warranty of il
responsible company
Local Merchant Needs No Advocate.
The local merchant needs neither ad-
eocate nor defense His methods rest
apon principles that have built up in
CHS country a system OF internal com
merce which is both the marvel and
the admiration OF the world His bust.
ness is legitimate because its success
contributes 10 the general prosperity
OF the community in which it stands
as Il thriving example Of honesty and
industry
II does not require that man shall
he endowed with unusual mental at.
tainments for him to know that a pri-
yate monopoly in restraint OF trade de
signed to wiring eytortionate profits
from consumers Is detrimental 10 the
pest interests Of the patrons OF that
industry Any combination organized
Tor the purpose Of smothering competi
don. whether II be Of capitalists. cap.
tains OF industry laborers. farmers.
sarehOnsemen transportation lines or
any other branch 81 the business world
i essentially uuethical unwise and De
structive OF business in the end
The honest consumer must pat him
SELF enthusiastically on the back when
ne spends his money ia such way
rhnt in supplying his own wants he is
helping to build 40 the community IN
which he lives