The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-03-09
The Times ''Buy at Home" Dept.
DUTY YOU OWE YOUR TOWN
Be Faithful and Honest With Yourself Obligations
of Consumer

slider the Duty He Owes His Home
Town--Loeal Merchants Ready and
! Willing to Compete.
| copyrighted. 1914. by Thomas ]. Sullivan
| Duty is power that rises with US
in the morning and goes to rest with
us at night. 1t is coextensive with the
action Of our intelligence. 1t is the
shadow which cleaves to us, go where
| we will.
Let us do our duty in our shop or
kitchen, in the market, the street, the
Office, the farm, the school, the home,
just as faithfully as if we stood in the
front ranks of some great battle and
knew that victory for mankind de-
pended upon our bravery strength and
skill.
When we do that the very humblest
Of us will be serving in that great
army which achieves the welfare Of
the world.
A Dollar Lost.
1t should be the slogan of every
I rural consumer never to send away
for goods that he can just as wen buy
at home. Every time you send dol
lar to mail order house that dollar,
as far as you and your community are
concerned, is practically out of clrcu-
lation.
Your own, home merchant is the one
who helps to keep up your schools,
your churches and your town. He is
the one who deserves your trade and
not some catalogue house IN Chicago
or elsewhere.
Goods on Unsecured Promises.
When you have nothing to give In
exchange, to whom do you go for ac-
commodations until some uncertain
time when you can pay?
Do you not always find your home
merchant, ready and willing to let his
goods go on promises, not guaranteed
notes, but verbal promises, trusting to
your honesty and good luck in meeting
the obligation later?
How many farms have been paid for
by yodr merchants advancing both the
goods necessary to keep life in the
body and cash to meet that dreaded
interest on the mortgage?
Under the same conditions would
the farmer trust the merchant for
months and months with the produce
OF bis farm, or would he ask for cash
or its equivalent upon delivery Of the
goods?
Not Robhsr or Cheat.
We know that the average consumer
does not feel that his local merchant is
a robber or cheat; but, like all hui
mankind. the catalogues and prices of
mail order houses appeal to him. and
be forwards his order and cash with
out considering the injustice he is do
ing himself. his merchant and bis
home town.
The catalogues OF the mail order
house are illumined with pictures to
catch the eye Of the unwary. They
range in complexion from a brunette
banana to blond canary bird. They
offer to sell yon anything from phi.
losopher's stone to a cypress shingle
sawed out of sunbeam.
caah Versus Credit.
1t seems unbelievable, but II is new
ertheless a fact, showing the entire
ack Of any sense of justice, that many
people regard their local stores as
merely institutions of accommodation.
When these people have cash to spend
I goes to the faraway mail order
houses, but when times are dull when |
hey are sick or out Of work or during |
he season when farmers are not turn
ng their produce into cash. what do i
hey do? Do they write to the cata-
ogue house and ask for credit?
If they did do you think they would
.et 1t? Not on your life. Those con-
erns must have cash. must have 1t in
dvance. must have 1t before you can
ven see the goods you buy. The con-
inner sends his money and then sits
0wn and waits until the mail order
Iouse gets good and ready to Gil his
RIDER.
But when home people want credit
r favors OF any kind they hustle of
D their home merchant very obliging-
? order what they want and tell him
b charge it. expecting him to wait at
nast from one to six months for his
ay.
Dealing With Neighbcrs.
In buying from your home merchants
on deal with neighbors BUY with
oods before you. Pay when Won get
ie goods II you so elect Have goods
elivered free. Return goods If not
Build up your home
ore.
Help build up your own home town
nd make Of yourself a man worthy OF
lur day and time Every man should /,
Ike pride In being a good American
tizen. and we believe most men do I
nd that most men are, or at least de-
re to be. but what kind of citizen is
e man who supports an octopus? b
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