The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-22
AN ANCIENT EVIL

The whole world, it would appear, is up in arms against what
&c called the profiteer. One would think the prohteer was some
sudden and new epiphany. AS a matter of fact, the prchteer has
slvays been with US. It is a practice we cover up and make
seemlv in the guise of business" There neve7 has been a time
when the sener did not extort as much as he could Tor an article
and there never was a time when the buyer did not pay as little
for an article as he might. To do this he goes from one to another
TO inquire about terms and prices. The good ad,es eau umsI
shopping" When Joseph cornered the food supply OF Egypt
during the seven fat years, when 1t was plentiful, ne demanded
his price for it during the lean years, and much OF it he boarded
for his own people. He refunded the rioney, collected from MS
brothers and kindred, but that was a family affair. |
AS a rule, when a commodity comes into the possession OF
anyone he parts with it at the top price onfSs Profit is What lie
seeks. Some men sell at a lower figure t~lan'others and adver-
tse the fact for the purpose OF attracting trade and making more
profit through volume than the difference in price Proiteering
becomes criminal and ~unbearable when certain people OBTAIN a
monopoly OF a necessity and then force people TO pay an eXorpi-
tant price for il. This has been the case with land IN Europe,
where the kings and queens, dukes and lords, jacks and ttenspots
owned it all and the people were denied access to IT. ms ten
dency is seen in every country. When the common man rs thus
oppressed be feels himself crushed and suffocated, and, as is the
case with other animals, be they deer, doves or wolves, he calls
Upon his kind for protection and assistance just as people are now
doing, and he remedies things collectively through the agency of
government, which he has erected for his protection. When peo-
pie suffer much the profiteer is called a criminal and is punished
for doing what everyone is trying to do at all times,
There is no regular, fixed price, and cannot easily be. But
when a malignant crew like the packers take control Of the neces-
sares OF life and withhold them from the people, they should be
made to dtsgorge. The people are the more numerous and can
control things when they will
The city dealer is not the only one TO take advantage OF con
ditions. Peaches used 10 sell FOR 40 cents the bushel and the fruit
raiser was satisfied. This year is a bumper crop year and the
honest c%ountfytan is demanding s. the bnshel for his peaches ii
the orchard9 BY the time they run the gauntlet OF the middlemer
they cost Ike the golden apples OF the Hesperides. The prof
iteer is no newcomer and people should organize and protect
themselves against his rapacity, which they can do. Proiiteering
L, the law Of life throughout HE. Big fish eat the little ones, and
the httb, ones would eat the big ones IL they could. The most
beautiful and delicate flower Us always seeking to extract nourish,
Beni from the ground, and will take it from the thorn or the big
get oAk tree when II can. The great oak is a profteer and
stsrrss 10 death all vegetation IN is shade or within the circuit
o. It's roots People are not weeds or grasses. They have intelli
gs2ce and shoald protect themselves against the profteers OF thei
owu kind. The B0sheyik have ore way OF doing this-the yer,
woTst nay II can be done in a bettrr way, in a legal way, anr
4 government which represents all the people and that does no
Protect the many fails Of tire purpose Of government, Giver
sathortv, tho government can do It'll IL public sentiment demand
Il as il Is now unqutstonably doing