Stone County enterprise. [volume] (Wiggins, Stone County, Mississippi) 1916-current, 1917-01-27

| Those wn5 were compelled to pay
ribute or perform a service for an
,ther in olden times were character
zed as 'hewers of stone and drawers
of water" for their more fortunate
brethren. This language is applicable
% the people Of Mississippi to a great
.xtent under existing conditions. We
Ire paying tribute to almost every civ
lized country when the tribute should
by all means be coming the other way
This is not made in the sense Of Q
criticism, but is stating fact in plain
language by one who has labored with
he masses of the people for many
Fears in trying to change this cOndi
lion, and is IN position TO fully ap-
preciate just where we are in the
great brotherhood of civilized people
and countries
To bring the people to a full realiza-
ion of their condition and secure their
attention, it is necessary to use Ian
suage that is SO plain that none can
misunderstood. And this in the face
II facts that cannot be disputed. that
We have advantages far superior TO
many OF the progressive sections that
1t present are exacting from us this
tribute
II the statement tnat heads TINS ar
'1cle is true, and its authenticity can
De readily proven. then it j. certainly
lime that we were awakenin. from
sur lethargy and putting forth that eff
!ort that viii bring our people into
heir owA and command for u8 what
s rightfully ours.
Although our soils are fertile and
product literally OF the best o. crops
hat are in everyday use in Z great
majority of the homes OF this and 9th
sr nations, it is Il fact that we are buy
ng daily many articles Of fGod and
,ther commerce that Is produced upon
eRds hundreds and thousands OF miles
iway from us. A glance upon the
shelves OF the stores in any part of
he state will verify this statement.
Our farmers do not have ready
md stable market for what they are
able to produce, but go on year after
rear buying what is grown and packed
~ farmers in other sections that has
oeen loaded with the cost Of several
iealers and more than one transpOrta-
ion company. The sams condition
applies to the stock man. although it
las been repeatedly proven that We
:an grow live stock of all kinds here
,or less than in the sections from
which our supply OF meats usually
,ome.
There is a reason for this, and q
good one, aud knowing the cause,
here is more of q reason why it
,hould be removed at the earliest pos
ible moment. This condition can be
changed by our people in very few
rears if they only WILL.
We have made little or no effort to
properly place our wares before the
consuming public and acquaint the
,uyers with the excellence of what we
night have to sell. On the other hand,
he progressive and aggressive farm
srs Of other sections have exploited
md popularized their products to the
point that they are found upon the
Ihe1ves of stores everywhere.
California has invested multiplied
thousands of dollars in making the
yublic Of the civilized globe want her
oranges and lemons and has created
demand that takes care of all they
produce. Mississippi can and does, TO
,ome extent, produce the finest sweet
potatoes IN the world. out has one Or
yaniZed effort been made 10 induce
people to buy and eat our potato?
Colorado cantaloupes are stable
ison the tables of the best hotels ev-
.rywhere, but call for Mississippi su-
rar cane syrup and find that the ca
.erer has never heard OF it. although
lou know that it is by far the best
hat is grown anywhere in the world.
And this condition applies along
Iown a line that would grow tedious
n the recountiug. We are without a
market for the reason that no effort
has been made 10 create a demand
md produce market. Other sections
,aye blazed the way and demonstrated
lust how a demand can be created,
md it is high time that the people of
Mississippi realized the fact that they
must be up and doing if they are to
,ave what belongs to them.
The greatest opportunity of a CEN
urv for beginning this campaign to
make q uGUlGlfQ lOI Oul plOuuNto - ~
,e found in the Exposition. reason
lble investment will bring to the. at
ention and favorable consideration Of
he hundreds of thousands of visitors
hat will come from other states and
oreign countries as many OF our prod
acts as the people see fit to prepare
md exploit to them.
But some man is ready to say that
lines are hard and we are not able TO
10 things this that is suggested. is
safe to answer that so long as some
hing of this kind is not done, times
will lcontinue hard. Just so long as
we remain asleep and continue to pay
rood money to the more progressive
lections for stuff that they are push
ng. Just so long will we be without
market or demand for our stuff and
zines will, be hard.
The Best merchants always adver-
dse most literally during lax bust
,ess period. There is a much better
reason why they should in dull times