The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-04-29
STATE PRESS.
Items of Interest and What the
Newspapers Have to Say.

the redoubtable Marcus Alonzo
seemed for a time that the unlaw-
full conspiraces of combined wealth
had the country in its greedy and
devouring grasp. But at last there
Self protection and self preserva-
ton have forced the legislatures Of
several of the States to act, and
Arkansas and Missouri have boldly
led off in the hopeful direction.
The Arkansas law makers adopted
a stringent measure against trusts,
not only prohibiting the forma ton
of the concerns in that particular
training those in other States from
operating therein, and in Missouri
similar law has recently been
signed by the governor. The Texas
legislature is now wrestling with an
anti trust measure that is even more
sweeping in its provisions than the
Arkansas statute and other States
OF the South and West will, at the
first opportunity, no doubt, emulate
the example of those that have led
off. OF course the trusts will fight
all unfavorable legisl alton, and the
Supreme Court will be called upon
to pass on all antitrust laws. Let
us hope that through the machinery
of this tribunal the trusts will not
be enabled to use the Federal power
to force the people of the States to
submit to the exactions of the gi-
gantic outside mOnopolies.
Baton Rouge Advocate: Ever
since the Civil War the people of
the South have labored under the
disadvantage imposed by poverty,
and for this reason disposition Of
dependence appears to have grown
up which is highly detrimental to
the best interests of the country.
We talk about cotton factories and
other paying enterprises, but we
seem to lack self confidence and
wait supinely for some one else to
come down and furnish the capital
with which to establish such enter
prlses The spirit of sturdy self
and of manly independ-
ence which was the predominant
trait of Southern character prior to
the war has suffered great deterior
alton since that time, much to the
discredit of our people and TO the
damage of the entire section. 1t is
time that Southern men were aban
doning such notions and striking out
for themselves. There is abundant
in the South to build and
operate all the industrial enter
prises we have any need of and this
capital should be called
into requisition and put to work
re habitating the South. Why
should we not have life and fire in
surance companies, cotton factories,
wood and iron working establish
ments of all kinds, leather and
textile works and enterprises of that
character in every city in the South?
The system we have pursued of going
to the North and East for everything
we wish to wear or to work with is
bringing the South to the
position of financial serfdom and
the remedy lies, not in legislation,
but in intelligent effort on the part
of our own people. We have few
milliOnaires in the South but our
money goes annually and by the
hundreds of millions to make mil
1ionaires and trusts in the North.
j .et us stop this. Let us build our
factories with our own capital and
if millionaires and trusts are to be
created, let Southern money go to
the creation of Southern milliOnaires
and thus keep our money in circu
latiOn at home.
Lake Charles Commercial Tri-
bune: For a poor. ignorant heath
en-, the old Ameer of Afghanistan,
can see as for through stone wall |
as anyone. He keeps thoroughly |
posted on European affairs and
those of the world generally, and
{ mploys European to aid him in