The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-06-06
The First Step

leads to period OF depression
about every ten years. We found
the cause 10 be an industrial one,
and not a political one We saw
that the evolution of the"C0mpetl
live SYSTEM gradually advanced
no matter what political party had
control of the government; and We
came to the conclusion that the
was inevitable, when the
laborer who produces all the
wealth Of the country is only al
lowed to retain for himself, very
small portion of that wealth.
Everybody knows that the great
or the height from which we JUMP
the harder will be the fall. This
is also true in the industrial field
for the highger we climb during q
period of prosperity, the greater
will be the fall when the reaction
takes place.
It is now about seven years
since the last industrial panic.
and business in every line has en-
ioyed a greater amount of pros
petty, than was ever befol {
known in the history of this
country. The demand for all
kinds of materials and manufact
ured goods has greatly exceeded
the supply; consequently prices
have advanced beyond all reason
There has been a great demand
for our products in every Euro
pean market; and the war i'll
South Africa has brought large
returns to our people. Our wal
with Spain opened up several new
markets in the East, and at the
same time, it gave employment
to SO many of our citizens; not
only in the army and navy, but
also in the industries that must
produce those necessities, that
were required in order to bring
the war to a successful issue.
If we continue to repeat the
history of the past, we have still
three more years in which to en-
10y our present prosperity, but
whether the coming panic will
arrive sooner, or whether it viii
exceed that time; depends al
together on circumstances, but il
is bound to appear, sooner OF
later, Just as sure as darkness
follows light. Why is it that we
still continue to support a system
that produces this result? The
answer is easy to find. Two
classes of society view the situa-
ton In two different ways; and a
third class allow things to remain
rs they are, on account of their
to understand the causes
that produce this effect. The
frs, of these classes, see no rea
son why this state of society
should be changed; they are the
ones who reap all the advantages
Of the present system; they con-
slider themselves socially superior
to the rest of society, and believe
that they have the right on ac.
count of this superiority to 1--we a
life of luxury and idleness upon
the toll and sweat of a producing
class The second class is a con
class, and they believe
what is, ought to remain so; they
rest between the two extremes;
they view the higher class with
envy, and are always trying to
reach that class, which they are
to admit is above them,
and at the same time, they are
to futher exploit the Ia
borer as a means to that end
They think that because the
world has remained under an un-
just system for such a great
length Of time, it must continue in
The same rut forever and they
care not who may suffer, as long
rs they themselves are permitted
20 escape. The third class con-
aims mass Of people, who en-
iertain many conflicting opinions
While some have no ideas at all,
,ut are willing to be led by the
lose by shrewd individuals,
whose only object is to benefit
themselves. We find that at
very election that has taken
'lace in the past, one portion of