The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-11-05

y
bic attention in this section For
several years this oil company has
been trying toinduce the merchants
of this place to sell its oil EXCLUSIVES
ly. If the merchants had accepted
this proposal, the price of oil would
have been put up 80 to 100 per cent,
but as it was to their interest 20 sell
oil as low as possible, they declined
to accept it. After all efforts to 6f-
feet an arrangement with the mer
chants had failed, the Standard Oil
Company adopted the bulldoztng
policy. 1t put down the price Of
oil to ten cents per gallon, and no.
tilted the merchants that they
would sell at that price until their
demands were accepted, But the
merchants here refused to surren-
der, Notwithstanding the merchants
Of Atlanta and other cities had
done so, and the next step of the
Standard OF! Company was to es-
tablish large grocery store in this
city under the smanagem Of
firm sent out from Louisville, with
instructions to undersell our mer-
chants on all articles This is the
condition of the contest at this time,
the Standard Oil Company adher-
ing to it's bulidozine policy and the
merchants holding out against il.
The people may derive Tempo
rary benefit from contests of this
kind, but as long as the competi
tive systeu exists they will suffer
in the end. The foundation Of that
principle is to make and retain the
| profits of trade, and it is so firmly
established and so thoroughly or
| ganized that it can and does heap
burdens upon the people at large
more unjust and oppressive than
those that have been piled upon
them by Government in the shape
of taxation, by transportation COM
panios and by vicious financial
system. The exactions of the com
petitive system reach every poor
mans family, and when they are
met there is too often nothing left
him with which to educate bis chill,
dren.
The contest between the Standard
Oil Company and the merchants O.
this city may continue indefinitely
or the latter may succumb. II the
latter is the result, all the mer.
chants Of this place will be forced
to enter into the arrangement anc
fix such prices on oil as the Stan
dard Oil Company may dictate
This has been the result in AtIant;
and other cities, and there the pric,
of oil doubtless rules at a high fig
ure.
, The only remedy for such q con
dition of affairs is the cooperative
system. The Standard Oil Com
pahy could not wage a successful
contest against a cooperative store
If a cooperative store existed ii
this city to-day, it could bid def
ance to the bulldozing store, foe it
customers would get their goods a
cheap as they can be sold and re
ceive dividends on the profits o
their business. The manager of /;
cooperative store and his clerks ar,
paid salaries, and are not dependen
on or even interested in the profit
of the business for their income
while the merchants under thu
competitive system relies upon th,
profits of his store for his income
and TO meet the expenses of his bu.
siness. 1t is not to the interest o
the manager of the cooperative
store to demand exorbitant profits
for he has nothing to do with fixing
the price of the goods; but in the
competitive system, the merchant
himself enjoys the profits and is
naturally inclined to charge as
big profits as he can safely do.
Tho farmers and workingmen
generally of this section should con
centrate their means and start CO.
operative store in this city as early
as possible. 1t is their only safety
from the exorbitant charges and
oppressive practices of the compe-
titivc system.
| z-sns~~%=-z~=--~---
The farmers of the country will
| H. fopool into tho Erapora +bot ic