The Raymer enterprise., 1918-05-23


we cannot alter the conditions, SO we
must accept them as they are and do
our best to overcome the obstacles
The natural obstacles are difficult
enough without having added to them
unnecessary criticism.
We are also glad to know that Mr..
Burton has had the benefit of living
in those splendid Nebraska cities Of
Lincolna nd Curis, andn ear to Brok-
en- Bow; but still we are at a loss
to understand how with his exper-
fence, he entertains such opinions as he
expressed of he dangers Of the cities.
We have not had the wide experience
as city dweeller which Mr.. Burton
has enjoyed. but we have lived in sew
eral smaller communities. The town
Is only collection OF people drawn
together. just the same kind of peo-
pie as Mr.. Burton and those who in
habit the country All have their
faults and their good qualities. the
latter usually predominating to a
great extent. but In the best OF them
selfishness and unbridled passions
and appetites need to be watched and
curbed. There Is good and bad in
every community and in every town
and in every city. You can find wnat
you are looking for. II Mr.. Burton
looks for the evil In Raymer. he will
find 1t. and II he looks for the good he
can also And that and he should
look for 1t and help to make the good
still better.
Again we admit that Raymer bus
less men did not donate roads from
a purely uselfish motive. II they
made no profit on their sales, how
could they pay their taxes and still
give to build roads? But we do not
expect to compel you to trade in Ray
mer. We simply open. the door Of op-
p0rtunity toyou to come to Raymer and
tfadeand save money. Ifthey can I sell
you goods as cheaply as you can buy
elsewhere. buy in the other place and
ship them to Raymer. and when the
stun you buy from the mail order
house In dumpedoff on the right Of
way as 1t used to be, Raymer business
men. II theynotice 1t will take care
OF II 80 that you may suffer no Loss,
and nine times out Of ten II you would
pay the home merchant what you pay
the mail order house, order insight
and unseen. let them do business on
your money instead Of their own as
the mail order does, you could save
money by trading at home.
The Enterprise cannot believe that
II would be good thing to have the
retail business all done by the big
millionaire tax lodging mail order
houses. The field OF merchandising
is not monopoly, but is open to all.
We have known men to leave the
farm to get rich selling goods. and
seldom have they reaped the harvest
they expected.
We can hardly imagine a greater
calamity to the country than to have
every village store close its doors,
and be compelled to send to the mail
order house for box of pepper or a
pinch of salt, and to have to send
to Davenport when We needed board
with which to make shelf, or when
we run short OF coal in the spring to
have to order our coal from the mines.
We doubt whether any man would
want this to happen We admit a
temptation to buy the pretty pictures
we see; we admit that there have been
times when It could hardly be avoid
ed; we admit that there seems to be
too great difference between the
price which the producer gets and the
price which the consumer pays; but
simplified distribution, cutting down
the number Of middle men and getting
the information needed about markets
will all help. But when you try to
strangie the local retail merchant,
you are gaiHg at the wrong end Of
the matter. We guess that no mer-
chant in Raymer made enough last
year from his store to make him sub
ject to the income tax. No merchant
in Raymer but would have made
enough to subject him to an income
tax had he had his capital required
in business, invested In lands eighteen
months ago and sold now, and most
Of them would have made more farm
ing and not worked any harder than
they did.
As TO the merits Of Colorado school
laws compared with those of Nebras-
ka. we are not qualified to speak
We would naturally suppose that
Nebraska people have adopted the
laws best adapted to thier cnoditions.
We canno help wondering how