Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1889 — Merchants Organization. [ARTICLE]

Merchants Organization.

On April 11 the merchants of Rensselaer met in the Town Hall and listened to the explanation of Mr. Smith of the advantages offered by organizing under the protective system represented by “The Merchants Retail Commercial Agency of Chicago, 111.” The organization o£ the Rensselaer branch was perfected and the following were elected officers: C. D. Nowels, president; E. P. Honan, Vice-President; C. VV. Coen, Secretary; O. W. Coen, Treasurer; N. Warner, F. B. Meyer and Ludd Eftptins, Executive Board 1 year; G. E. Murray, Executive Board 2 years; John Eger, Executive Board 3 years. All merchants present signed the constitution and by-laws, pledging their honor as business men to maintain and sustain each and every part thereof for one year. A fine is provided as a penalty for violation of the clause in such constitution, which provides that no member of the Rensselaer Branch of “The Merchants Retail Commercial Agency, shall give credit to a person who does not in some honorable manner adjust his indebtedness with another member of “The Merchants Retail Commercial Agency.” No person shall be referred to the members of this or any other branch as owing a member of “The Merchants Retail Commercial Agency” until such person has been given a full and fair opportunity to go to the merchant he owes and in some way settle up his indebtedness. This system cannot work a hardship on any person who is disposed to do the square thing. Any person, no matter how poor, how unfortunate his circumstances in life, if he is honest, need have no fear, because he can and will make known his circumstances in such a way as will be satisfactory to the person he owes. No merchant will ever crowd a poor man who is honest; but that class of of persons, who do not care for their promises to pay; who go from one store to another, from one town to anotner, contracting a debt wherever they can get a chance to open an account; who go it blind, never stopping to consider how they can pay; never trying to pay—paying their honest debts being the last thing they think of—it is to such persons that this system pays attention. It is no hardship to ask men to be honest in their deals with a merchant who trusts them. Every farmer, every mechanic, every person in the community in Which we reside who pays his honest debts is interested in the success of a system whjch seeks to make those who can pay, and won’t pay, pay their honest debts, because it is those who pay cash or pay their debts promptly, who furnish the money which enables the merchant to successfully conduct his business and carry on his books that class people styled slow payers and “dead beats.” Every dollar lost by the merchant by reason of bad debts is indirectly loaded onto the shoulders of those who do pay, and any system that forces payment by slow payers and “dead beats,” or compels them to pay spot cash or secure for everything they purchase, unloads the percentage from off the shoulders of the honest paying classes. A man cannot exist in this world and pay nothing without proving a direct burden on those who supply themselves with the necessaries of life by honest purpose. The do-nothing, pay-nothing class are what this agency is after. The merchants have no law for their

protection; they must be a law unto themselves by combination for the protection of each other. They owe it not only to themselves, but to their cash-paying, prompt-pay-ing customers, to combine together and drive to settlement or cash that class of persons which infests every community, who do nothing, live well and contribute nothing. Thisjsystem is being adopted by all the leading merchants through-

out the west. It deals bpnorably with both debtor and creditor and should have the support not only of merchants but honest consumers. We do not wish to be understood as being organized for the purpose of oppressing or crowding any worthy workingman and those on salaries, but that they in common with all merchants and manufacturers must understand the necessity of paying their just and honest debts, that with them their promises to pay should be met with the 88 me promptness as all those engaged in business must honor their obligations. Pay up. Settle up or pay cash is the motto of this branch and of the agency.