Year: 1873


which are again being advertised. II.
matter will doubtless now receive the 1T
i tentions Of the police authorities. Whatsv-
er may y be said or thought Of bona Jesde lot
tsries or gift enterprises carried on in
States whore they are legal, and where
actual and honest drawings take place,
the .'distributions' Of Our FIre.ide Friend,
IT held at all, are in direct violation Of law;
and if not held (as they are not), they are
an unadulterated and ebominable fraud and
imposition upon its subscribers and those
of its agents who are acting in ignorance of
the facts.


We publish this expose Of swindling, both
consummated and prospective, in the face
of threat from the Office of Our Fire.ide
Friend made during the progress of
our Investigations, that if we interfered
with them we would be "crushed that
$4,000 would be spent in retaliation
that there were 500, 900 back of the con-
cern, 10000 subscribers to read their at
tacks upon us, and the best lawyers in
Chicago" in their employ. As this may
possibly be regarded by them as interfer-
ence, they are at liberty to proceed with
their libel suits, or what not.


Such operations as these fellows are en-
gagged in derange and damage all legitimate
business. They impair confidence in those
who are concerned in honest pursuits.
No honest newspaper publisher can CON-
pete with such '' enterprises" No book or
or other agency business can cope with it,
as the swindlers, having little to lose and
large gains in prospect, can afford per-
centages which no straight forward
dealing can endure. 1t demoralizes trade.
Money is taken from the people, mostly
from the ignorant and poorer classes, who
expect the promised goods but get nothing,
and so their money is kept out Of the hands
of honest dealers. The entire thing is a
disgrace to Chicago, and there should be
| some method for relieving the city and
public from their further depredations.
At the time of the Thompson swindles ma
ny thought that hanging was the de-
served punishment for such rascality.


There are other humbugs which deserve
attention, and we will try to get room in
our next to show them up. But let Pat
rons deal with substantial men, at home,
whom they know to be good, or through
the duly appointed State and County agents,
and then they will not get their fingers
burned In the meanwhile look out for
the men who are around striving to do you
an everlasting benefit by selling you some
patent right for making churns In short
avoid all patent right venders valuable
patents do not go tramping around over the
country there is too much money in them.


In our last issue we published letter
from the State Business Agent of the P. of
H. in answer to attacks made in a certain
letter therein mentioned. There is no busi-
ness which may not be injured by such
inuendoes as the letter referred to con-
tains. Now, acting as the State Agent
does, through the county agents, who are
directly responsible to the people, with all
the competition of the old system to con-
tend with, it does not appear to us that
any fraud were possible even if an agent
was inclined IS do what is wrong There
ls no greater enemy to all business than
distrust. It und ermines all business faith.
Without confidence in one another, it is
impossible for men to do any kind of busi-
ness. Business panics are brought on by
the shaking of this business faith. The
strongest business houses have been shaken
and even ruined by the insinuations of
their enemies, when, had they been left
alone, they would have been perfectly
sound. Yet there are men with whom sus
picion and doubt are chronic, and who
throw out their insinuations without think
ing or realizing the harm that may be
done. In view Of all this men should be
careful Of their writings and words. We
do not say this because we think the plan
Of the State Agency has received any great
injury, but because we believe that by such
suspicion, circulated through the commun-
ity, its usefulness may be impaired, and
many be kept from its benefits. There is
another thing with regard to this agency,
concerning which we must believe that
some OF our patrons are exhibiting an un-
wise, if not selfish feeling and desire,
and that is with regard to making the ben
eft Of the State Agency general, giving the
benefit to all farmers alike The idea has
been advanced that if the benefit was made
general, then there would be no need of
belonging to the Grange There could be
nothing, certainly, farther from the mark.
II it was not for the organization of the
Oranges there could be no State Agency,
and no benefit could exist for either Pat
rons or any one else. If the Patrons, by
keeping up their organizations can derive