The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-10-14
BE FAIR TO LOCAL ENTERPRISE
Standing by Home Town Matter of
Principle and Good Faith.

Principle and Good Faith.
The following article contributed
by DIR. N. P. Moss Of Lafayette to the
Lafayette Advertiser is worthy of
reproduction:
Roanoke, Va, Sept. %, 1916.
'tTo The Avertiser:
''The comparison of 'catalog house
prices featured intthe advertisement
of N. Abramson in recent issue Of
the Advertiser is deserving of more
than passing notice. In thus explod-
ing the current belief among the buy
ing public that catalog or mail order
houses undersell the home merchant,
Mr.. Abramson is not only boosting
his own business but he is also con-
ferring a benefit upon his fellow-mer-
chants along with the general public.
This is individual effort of a broad
and constructive character, and be-
cause it embraces in its results the
public good as~well as the good of the
individual directly concerned, activi-
ties Of this kind are always to be
commended and encouraged. They
contain the element of vital principle
of the law which underlies all real
progress in the life of communities
and of nations, which is that in
dividual initiative and effort find
their highest expression and fullest
reward in the life and character of
the community in which they are ex-
erted. 1t is the way of the world to
give back in overaoWing measure to
every man and woman whatsoever he,
or she, puts into the world; and for
tunate indeed is the one who is con-
scious of this great fact and utilizes
it in good ways.
''The question of buying at home
is one of very personal interest to
every man and woman in the com
munity. Because it is an essential
factor in the material prosperity and
social advancement of every COM
munity, our children should be made
to realize the important bearing this
subject has upon their future welfare.
"Patronizing local industry builds
up community and insures it's
prosperity. This applies to business
men and ito business ablishments
as well as to their customers. It en-
braces everybody. It is as much the
duty of the merchant to patronize
local enterprises as it is the duty of
the individual citizen to patronize
the merchant.
Being fair to local enterprise is
the only proper and sensible course to
follow. The man who pursues any
other course is Stacker He
leaves the responsibility and labor
of upholding his community to 9TH
ers. He enjoys the advantages of
the community, lives in it and walks
its streets and aetepts it's bonntys
but when it comes to doing his share
toward maintaining it, he is sadly de-
ficient.
IF there are many slackers, we
have slow town. If merchants re-
fuse to patronize home industry and
citizens refuse to patronize home mer-
chants, we have condition that
leads to stagnation and often to de-
cay. If we buy our shirts, collars,
shoes, ETC., from a Chicago mail-order
house, we may imagine that we save
a few cents, but in the long run we
are losers. We contribute to the
oiling up of wealth in Chicago, to
the building of more schools and
streets and public institutions there,
but we don't help Lafayette one bit.
Lafayette has helped us, but when
it comes to an opportunity to help
Lafayette, we pull out a dirk and
stab Lafayette in the back.
"Some may think this is putting it
somewhat sharply, but it's the truth
and we know it's the truth that