Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-22
An Honest Deal Is Better Than Sharp Practices

doubt whether a real saint would long be allowed outside either of the poor house or the insane asylum. The ec- centricity of such character would be so marked that universal ostracism l would follow.
 But there's wide interval between | ideal saintship and common. honesty i. in dealing. I don't think the consumer I has any right to expect sainthood in 1 the farmer. I'm equally sure that he l has no reasonable right to expect it in | the consumer to whom he sells. But i both do have the right to expect com mon honesty, and fair intelligence | and some degree of reason, and a de- cent regard for the others rights. If my correspondent should take that statement and ask me if really think all farmers are up to the mark in those respects I should again answer. Noi There are sharps and sharks and Shifty Dicks living on farms-too many of them. We real farmers de- spise them and hate them worse than even their unfortunate customers can. For they give us all a bad name. The stench of their misdeeds infects our cleaner clothes. We come into court under the natural suspicion which in- evitably attaches to the eonsorts of bad company. Strangers look upon us askance and hesitate to deal with us. remembering their experiences with former swindlers in overalls. Instead of being considered innocent until we have been proven guilty. we are often
  demonstrate our innocence
 Why, only two days ago I was told of certain farmer of this very town who, last fall, went into city mans place of business and sold him twenty bushels of potatoes. He asked a round price. but he had samples with him which were of unusually high quality and Justified him in wanting something above the market. Highly pleas the city man told him to deliver them as soon as he could Next day MT. 1 Farmer did so, collecting his pay from the merchants wife. When the buyer half remarked that she didn't. think | much of him as potato buyer | What's the rnatter?" he asked 'Go down cellar and look" she responded. l containing a very scant twenty bush | els of wretehed little potatoes, some | warty. some grub eaten, some cabby, | and fully half infected with dry rot | hut wholly unfit for human consump- tion- They bore about as much re- 1 semblanee ta the fine biz fair samples | shown the day before as a starved does to a fat steer.
 Next morning the city man nnotored we son and gave that astenished indi- yidual just five minutes to return his nancy in full and just one full day to | take those potatoes out of his cellar.
 
 The tran nsactien having thus been con sluded, the city consumer registered solemn VOW that he'd never huy an- other thing of any d-d skin of a farm ar- He'd buy from the corner grocer instead. Even if that person was no nore honest Inherently. than a farm eF, he at least had business sense enough to know that selling unfit goods on interpretations wasn't sead for trade.
 There you have it. sister. Can even rou tell truthful story of greater ness on the part of any armer than he one I have recounted? That never to- be exeerated lunkhead not 'nlv lost a sale and the chance of se- ilring a permanent customer. but he lid an incalcula hle injury to the repu- ations of all other farmers among the lumber of the city mans friends In he hope of getting away with a few Iollars dishonestly, he had lost the haHee of getting many dollars hon. stly. and had. at the same time made he going harder for scores of other armers from his town.
 If his outraged customer had chosen nferee his demands for reparation, nd the case had gone before a jury of armers. I am inclined to think that hey would have soaked" the culprit 7ith all the actual and punitive and 1onitory and other damages they penalty upon him but as a warning ) possible imitators.
 For there is one thing I'm just as onward in claiming as I am in admit ng the existence of dishonest farm rs. And that is that the dishonest are he exception. They are the black