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Show GOOPBYIS TO TlfH CICISDIT SYSTEM. SYS-TEM. By M. s. Clinton. Whatever may be wild against the mall order business It lias done more than anything else to break up the disastrous credit system under which the farmers pf this country have suffered suf-fered heavy losses for hundreds of years. Buying on credit has been tho more disastrous to the farmers of the south where it was practically the only wav nf doing businew than In any other part of the country. Beforo the war the farmer bought everything on credit and If his crops at the end of the year were not enough to pay his bills were carried over, the storekeeper contracting his credit to any extent ho saw lit, generally gen-erally no margin allowed beyond a baro living. Naturally the farmer paid enormous enorm-ous prices for everything because tho storekeeper must liavo Interest on his money and be rcimbunicd for all losses occasioned by the impecunious ones. This pernicious system was not con- IIIIUU lJ 11IU nuillll IUUIIU IJUV C-AIUUIIV" to every part of the country in greater or less degree and has continued con-tinued up to within a few years. Farmers lost thousands of dollars because be-cause they could not pay cash. When short credits were established the system sys-tem of trading farm produce for groceries and other supplies always worked to tho disadvantage of the farmer. The cash system began with groceries gro-ceries and In the more prosperous states rather slowly spYead to other lines, but it was with the advent of the blp mail order houses that the system of paying spot cash and buy- lished. Today the cash system Is in operation opera-tion everywhere. The country merchant sells for cash because In no other way can he compete com-pete with the outside firms that do. Even In the south tho cotton and cane raisers aro adopting tho syatem and in .their efforts to hold their own against tho mall order houses the local merchants mer-chants are everywhere adopting mod-en mod-en business methods buying tholr goods In the open market for tho lowest low-est prices that cash will obtain and soiling for cash at the smallest possible pos-sible margin of profit. That this system Is working to the great advantage of the country merchants mer-chants as well ns the farmers is amply proven by the experience of the past few years. No matter how deep the grievance of the country merchants against the mull order system may be In many respects they must know that It has been responsible for the passing of, this pernicious system of trading. |