The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-11-14
8, COMMUNITY CLUB.

II e3f# oqtftr afaIONANONAI1 CLUB. $3.50 @sI ~
i Richland County + Farmer Some people pse,o1ple will
be wondering what the new Community Club"
that is putting a series of lyceum entertain
mennt in Wahpeton has behind it. It is some,
thing new among us and deserves scrutiny and
attention. .H1|ll 5H I iat@E#I
There has been growing up between country
town and farmers and antagonism. This is not
entirely over political matters-though that has
had its share in making the gap-but the atti-
tude of both classes has been such that instead
of getting together there has been a steadily
widening chasm between them.
The farmer felt that the wrongs he was suf-
fering under were not given decent considera-
ton; that the town people looked down on him
first and when he struggled to help himself,
they openly opposed him.. He has felt that the
town merchant was bleeding him and looked up
the last drop to support the town. The farmer
felt that he had done his share to make the
towns possible and that his work and efforts
were given no credit. He accused the local mer-
chant of charging exhorbitant prices for goods.
a resulted in his sending to the mail order
houses for goods-the towns suffered and the
town people, who felt the farmer was their law
full prey, grew bitter against him. .+-t,
The business man in the town felt that the
farmer wanted to run" him, and that, because
Of his greater numbers he would do so. He felt
that the farmer, who had always been meek and
SUBMISSIVE, was tuludlI ~ Ill - SuOu0nly turning
about and demanding his rights. What inn.
provements the town had-the business man
felt he had accomplished through hard work,
worry and much sacrifice, and that the farmer
should claim his, share in it was sheer impu-s
dence. ,1 nj ID lnIrq@
Get two classes Of people in this frame of
mlnd, get them to conflicting in politics and in,
interests and you have a condition that is hard
to- end. Yet Alex. Karr, head of the community,
Club system believes that his plan will overcome
much of the contention and bring about a
friendlier feeling. i.H-r .F%t |@.rj.1
But he could not have secured a trial of his
plan, had not the wholesale houses of the east
seen their business dwindling. They sold to the
local merchant and when the local merchant
sold less-they suffered. Business given to the
mail order houses benefits no Twin, City or Du-
luth wholesaler. So the wholesalers and the re-
tailers got together to back Karr's idea. u
The Community Club, made of businessmen
and farmers is the first move. Then there, are
fine entertainments at a nominal cost, special
bargains by the, local merchants and a good
talker to show both sides how they are injuring
each other. by the antagonism that has arisen
between them, No politics or religion is per-
mitted to be discussed 1t is purely business
an effort to show both parties that there is
money in it for both to stick together. H. u.44.al
Some say: 1T can't be done. Some of the
merchants are too stubborn Perhaps it can't
be done in Wahpeton-but it is being done in
one hundred cities in North Dakota, and if we
fail here it is no credit to US or our business
sense. The Farmer, representing the farmers
of the county, welcomes the move. If the farm
ers can be shown that the business men mean to"
do right and can and will save them money by
buying at home and can prove their good will
by mixing in friendly association with the farm
er-regardless of his religion or politics-the
farmer will not hesitate to 60 his half Of the
way. .1..a. h"i, "'3 =. ''H3@
But the farmer is not to be fooled. He knows
that soft words butter no parsnips. He is will
ing to be friendly; he is anxious to trade at
home if it saves his money. But no entertain
ment however good and no speaker however
convincing will get him, or can make up for in
suit when he comes to own or high prices when
he comes to buy. His answer to that has been
stay way and send to Chicago. His answer is
pretty effective! too = Tja i"," w. "" "