The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1917-08-17

dend - Small Consumers Should
Unite.
Copyrighted, 1914, by Thomas j sullivan.l
Commerce has made all winds her
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 l~eaders-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 far The
purpose Of illegally controlling either
one industry Or another.
Writers Should Look Further.
No man will dispute the fact thai
residents Of small proaprrous CON
munities where Il general business
carried on do not enjoy lruuoun,r'
advantages over the people living in
cities where the population is con
gested.
But the publicists who are holding
the big interests mp to the cor III
human mind should look further. rs
there is a 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 a little meditation will show what
its business means to the small town
IL is capitalized at the enormous
amount of S5O.OOO,O 600, sold at 500 per
share; 100000 is preferred stock,
and $4,000. 900 is common stock.
Paid II Per Cent Dividend.
We are credibly Informed that this
concern did 100000 900 worth of bust
ness in the year 1913 and paid a dlvi-
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 adyertis-
ing?
Where did this S1OOOOOOOO come
froml II 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 a 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 it takes out Of it? None.
1t delivers the cheap goods, and that
is all.
Cash Controls Shipments.
1t sells only for cash. If money
does not accompany the order the
goods are not shipped. Your financial
reverses, sickness or other misfortunes
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 loss
Of its financial strength, the local town
totters and falls a victim Of the greed
Of the new big business"
Many persons lose sight Of the fact
that a business enterprise is not neces-
sarily an octopus simply because II is
engaged in what is sneeringly called
by many ''big business" or because 1t
employs a large amount of capital. A
mammoth corporation may be conduct
ed on as correct business principles
and can be as regardful 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 OF
immortality, the right or wrong, the
justice or injustice, Of its claims to
public confidence and support.
Should Unite Against Evil.
But the ease is not a hopeless one
Let the business and professional meI
1.-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 grea.
progress can and viii be made TOWARD
the settlement OF the yexing questions
that now confront the business world.
The evil which h hound TO follow Il
the wako Of the new big business
ought To furnish food for thought an,