He told them what he had
been able to accomplish by himself, in a short time; how he had redeemed
the glen from its disgraceful condition and restored it to its former
beauty. He asked them to observe Webb's pretty homestead, no longer
marred by the unsightly sign upon the barn. And then he appealed to them
to help him in driving all the advertising signs out of the community.
When he ended they applauded his speech mildly; but it was chiefly for
the reason that he had spoken so forcibly and well.
Then the Honorable Erastus Hopkins, quick to catch the lack of sympathy
in the audience, stood up and begged leave to reply to young Forbes.
He said the objection to advertising signs was only a rich man's
aristocratic hobby, and that it could not be indulged in a democratic
community of honest people. His own firm, he said, bought thousands of
bushels of oats from the farmers and converted them into the celebrated
Eagle-Eye Breakfast Food, three packages for a quarter. They sold this
breakfast food to thousands of farmers, to give them health and strength
to harvest another crop of oats. Thus he "benefited the community going
and coming." What! Should he not advertise this mutual-benefit commodity
wherever he pleased, and especially among the farmers? What aristocratic
notion could prevent him? It was a mighty good thing for the farmers to
be reminded, by means of the signs on their barns and fences, of the
things they needed in daily life.
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