The Washington times., 1936-08-20

the united ReCallS Merchants
Association, and citizens Of
Maryland:
am acutely aware Of the
fact that this is a unique &C.
casion. A great association Of
American business men has
chosen HagerStown as the meet
ing-place for it's annual outdoor
national convention. The United
Retail Merchants Association
has done me the honor to in
vite me to address them at this
national convention. 1t has in
vited the citizens Of Maryland
to join with them in this meet
ing.
Solution of Problems
It is obvious, therefore, that
this is not an ordinary polit-
ical meeting. The United Re
tail Merchants are not po-
litical organization. They are
nonpartiSan.
It happens that I am the
minee of the Republican
party for the Vice Presidency
of the United States. I am
now engaged in the campaign.
You have given me unrestricted
freedom of choice in my re-
marks, but it would not be in
good taste for me to convert
the occasion to partisan polit-
ical uses. l shall speak to you
less as candidate for public
office and more as an Amer
lean citizen interested in the
solution Of grave economic
problems now facing the ma
ton.
I am pleased to speak at such
a meeting as this. AS news
paper proprietor, I have long
had intimate relations with re-
tail merchants. I know some.
thing of their services to our
economic life. I know some
thing of their problems and
troubles.
A Typical Story
Only recently, I had the pleas
ure Of speaking at the laying
of the cornerstone of a new
department store in my home
city. There was a story be-
hind that new building. The
founder Of that store was once
a poor immigrant boy, without
a single advantage in the race
Of life. He began work as a
small boy for a meager wage.
In due time, he started a small
store. He had a hard struggle.
He faced competition and de-
preston.
But the little store lived and
grew. 1t developed into a great
mercantile enterprise. In due
time, wealth came to him. And
in his advanced years. he gave
a large part of his fortune to
the education and support Of
boys and girls who start life as
he did. without advantages. 1t
is a typical American story. 1t
tells the story of the opportu-
nifty open to Americans who
start at the bottom, of the re-
wards that come for hard work,
of the services America expects
of it's successful citizens. There
is probably no other large coun-
try in which we could find such
a story.
Merchants Praised
I take it as a privilege to be
able to speak to this group Of
merchants and to the thousands
gathered here with them. 1 am
glad of the opportunity to talk
to you about some of the prob
lens Of the retail merchant and
all other men who earn their
livings.
But first, I want to congratu-
late you retail merchants on your
convention. No business has
suffered more from depression
than the mercantile business.
All Of you here are battle
SCARED veterans of six years of
depression. You have faced the
decline of consumption, the loss
Of customers, the imposSibility
Of collections, an increase of
competition and a heavier bur
den Of taxation.
Confidence in Future
I am reminded of the retail
er who put up a sign on his
store: Business as Usual Dur
ing Alterations. After three
idle days, he went out in dis
gust and changed the sign to
read, "No Business as Usual
During Alterations. But you
have fought through the de-
preston, and you gather here
with courage and confidence in
the future.
You are one of the great
agencies in American economic
life. You are the instrument
through which the huge output
of our fields and factories is
distributed to a hundred and
thirty million consumers. You
exercise a great and useful
function. 1t is an unhappy fact
that this function is not every
where clearly understood. There
are many who see the farmer
and the manufacturer as more
useful than the merchant. They
see the merchant as a mere un-
productive middleman.
This is a misconception of
our economic system. It is part
only of a larger misconception
that has done much evil in our
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