The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-03-04
BY H. E. BLAKEsLEE, Jackson.

state IN the future. They indicate a
breaking away from old alignments
and forming new connections for the
public welfare. That no longer will
our people submit to the dictation of
New Yorker brokers as to the price
which they will accept for their cot
ton and that the Standard Oil Com
Dany n allied interests of Insurance
companies, etc. shall determine the
price at which they shall dispose Of
crude oil from the seed mills.
The first instance referred to is the
forming OF an association to handle
tho cotton crop, prepare for storing
any surplus that may be raised and
h advancing OF money on cotton
thus stored until q legitimate price is
offered. The successful termination
OF this movement seems TO be neal at
hand, and when the cotton planters Of
the State can defy the manipulation
OF Wall street dealers much will have
been accomplished for the advance
ment Of Mississippi. The action of
Mr.. Wilson, of Lexington, II other
mOneyed men throughout the State, in
offering storage and advances to aid
the attempted revolution, is highly
COmmendable and stamps them as
deeply interested in the welfare of
'''f - IL htCiA AIlolS ~
Mississippi than the mere handling
adEantascously of the cotton pro
duCcd, and sets an example Tor our
people to follow in cutting loose from
the domination and dictatiOn Of trusts
and combines hat at present are praC-
tICally in control Of the whole country,
Legislative and executive.
The second, and of equal impOr-
tance with the first. is the movement
70 build a refinery in the State for re.
tiHing crude cotton seed Oil, thereby
fitting for export as we'll as nome con
sumption. There are - Oil mills in
the state which are not controlled by
what is known as the trust, under
whatever name it may be locally
known. None of these mills have a
refinery and there is zone where their
product can be refined except under
control Of the greatest trust the world
has yer known. the Standard Oil
Company. and its associated interests.
These - mills then were compelled
to COnSElt the sweet will of the trust
and smiIingIy accept anything offered
for their oil. Representatives from
these mills met in JACKSON a few days
since aDd formulated Il plan for break
lGG away from the trust and refining
iA"Ir W product. Committees are
hard at work now completing arrange
mCntS and shortly a second meeting
viii he held to put the plan into ex-
GcutiOn. A proud day it would be for
MississiNnians should they be able
30 defy these two great influences that
arc at present the terror Of all indie
pendent interests in the United States,
and in a number Of foreign countries.
these movements seemingly come
At a Very OppDrtune time. President
Roosevelt is WaginS a war against the
great transportation companies in rate
discrimination and has thrown down
the gage OF battle TO Standard Oil.
What viii be the result OF this activity
Is only conjecture, the sincerity Of
the movements being questioned in
many quarters. However. the writer
believes that it will not be without re-
suits of a beneficial nature. Kansas
has openly defied Standard Oil. out
l3WlnG il, passed a law to build its
own refineTles and so into the market
as an Individual. Kansas IS an oil
producing State n can accomplish
something along the line indicated.
Texas has entered the fight against
the oil trust with energy and is doing
we'll so ar. The action Or the cotton
II cotton oil men Of Mississippi will
only strengthen the positions taken
by these States. There seems to be
something Ike a sympathetic move
mcnt against the trusts all over the
country, and State is falling into
lire very properly.
TIN campaign being waged by Thos.
". Lawson. be he what he may. is
surely bearing good fruit. Lawson
was probably as deep in tho miro as
Standard Oil and its insurance CO.
horts. out there is much truth in the
Old saying anent when thieves fall
out" etc. The people of Mississippi
have always expressed a desire to
fight combinations hat We're wont to
Cypress consumers OF any product.
The opportunity is now offered them
and it goes without saying that they
will Loyalty stand behind the institu-
tions provided for that purpose. A
series of articles giving light Upon the
HefariOuS practices of the great trusts
are now being arranged to appear
during the spring n summer in all
apers throughout the State that de-
sire them. A campaign of education,
supported by facts n figures, will be
inaugurated. More than two and a
quarter million dollars is paid by the
people of the State to a trust for
IIi0i IoS NNoili tiSSCSSolN
about which some startling allegations
are made. National legislation is
largely made at the command of the
trusts and in their interest. In these
things all Mississippians are vitality
interested. A Greater Mississippi"
means that her people shall be ener-
getic, p~ersevering, broad-gauged and
well posted upon all matters pertain
ing to the general welfare. The time
TO begin such d movement is right
now. 1t is a duty OF every man to
know these things.
4
There are openings in the State for
a number of factories to make small
handles from hickory or ash timber.
While a large part of the hickory has
been split into spoke timber, there is
still an immense amount of small or
can ash and a considerable quantity
of small hickory that is excellent in