Yazoo City herald., 1914-10-16

and pay from 50 to 50 per ton, more
if necessary, than the small mill own
ers could afford to give, the value of
seed being based On oil sold to the
three big trusts which consumed all
Of the oil and fixed the prices to be
paid.
All three Of the trusts operate both
refineries and crude mills, not only
crushing seed in enormous quantities,
but with their crude mills supplying
themselves with oil at cheap prices
from small industries. The refineries
Of the trusts are located in New Or
leans and other Louisiana places, also
in other central points in the south
and in various cities in the north.
Meeting the Attack.
In 1900, forseeing their ultimate
ruin, the small mill men held meet
ings among themselves with the OBJ
ject Of trying to hold together against
the terrific onslaught of the big mills.
But even then they we're too weak to
do anything very effective, and the
only way they could operate, and have
anything to say about the price of
seed was by turning their affairs into
the hands of one man, who, in q sense,
represented them and the big mills
both, and whose duties would be to do
the price of seed and divide territory
and to determine the amount Of ton
mage that each little mill would be al
lowed, also the amount Of seed ton
mage to be contributed by the little
mills to the three big organizations.
The attitude of the big mills was
simply this, it il said; to agree to the
demands Of the little fellows only if
the latter met their conditions. II the
little fellows agreed to do this the big
mills and their subsidiaries got all the
cheap seed they could crush; the lit
tie mills got the balance and had to sell
their oil to the trust mills. If not the
big three held the big stick.
At first these organizations looking
to harmony" between the big inter
ests and the little mills was sporatic
and confined to territory and groups,
then finally to state wide organiza-
ton in every cotton growing state in
the union. Then they were further
"harmonized" by meetings between
committees of the several states,
which consulted with each other so as
to make the relations between the two
two interests uniform throughout the
south.
"SOns of Plato"
The final outgrowth of these con-
ditions and attempts to get on living
terms with the big monopoly led to
the formation in the various states of
the south of what is known as the Oil
{ Mill Fraternity, or "Sons of Plato" all
the mills in each state constituting an
Academy under the name of the
state in which it was located. Oaths,
binding the members to secrecy, were
taken, the fraternity being patterned
after other secret orders, including
such features as limitations, dues, etc.,
with adjunits and corps of officers
and committees. The head of the or
ganization, in whom is vested the pow
) er of czar or pope, is known as
"Plato," and committees located in
{ different parts of the state are under
: his will and control.
At first the members Of the as. o..
p" were held in check by the secret
oath administered by the Plato, which
was sworn to and reduced to writing.
Each member was sworn to secrecy,
and consecrated to obeying the man
dates of his plate" or the commit
tee in the absence of "Plato," the
7 head of the organization.
That these organizations were form
ed for the express puprose of fixing
, the price of cotton seed, and did so,
is absolutely certain from signed doc
: unents and letters gathered from
: Aha 01d fiIao of Ynanv noffou Tnilla in
Mississippi, while some Of the CORES
pondence shows dealings with the AL
ALBANIA "Sons of Plato"
In many letters, notices, ETC., the
order is designated as rs. o. P" and
members frequently refer to one an
=, other as a "brother" or brethren"
~ 81 as a syzE xsS.s>r ,.S1Skss1ASSsKS4.