Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-12-09
Farm Bureau Special
Canker Worm-Infected Business In
terests Set Idly BY And Watch For
The Dollar-Not Willing To
Advertise.

We announced that The Eagle
would attempt to issue Christmas
Edition, to encourage and boost the
Christmas spirit. This announcement
was published two weeks. We also
went around to see the merchants,
they did not want to advertise.
So, we have decided that if the
merchants can stand to set back and
catch the few stragling dollars which
by chance may come their way during
Christmas, we will be contented in
giving our readers a good, readable
newspaper.
The Canker is broadcast in Oxford.
1t has been considered by travelling
men for some time that Oxford was
the (grave-yardD of all towns in
North Mississippi. This is not true.
Oxford is good town and has fine
citizenship. 1t is true that we need
a more progressive set of business
men; We need business men who will
take the lead and stand by any move
ment put on foot for the betterment
of the town and county, and then, if
the movement fails, stand their part
of the loss.
We heard business man say the
other day, "We ought to have 500
more farmers in Lafayette county,
men who would take hold of the stock
business. No one disputed that fact,
but we thought if such was the case
some of them would have to go into
the mercantile business. The business
man who made that remark never did
stop to think how this 500 progress
sive farmers could be induced to come
to Lafayette county. He is man
that does not believe in advertising,
but he thinks that 500 progressive
farmers should "drop in" and like
missionaries or the good Samaritan,
give aid to the needy.
Such will never happen. There are
progressive business men all over the
United States looking for progressive
farmers who are ready to place them
in more progressive community.
No one can deny the fact that La
fayette county is admirably adapted
to stock raising, but how is the "stock
raiser" to know about this? A mer-
chant in town has given his clerk
orders to sell goods at cost or below,
but how in the thunder is this clerk
going to sell these goods unless that
merchant tells the people about his
reduction on goods? He may stand
a sign board up in his window, but
who is going out in the country and
bring the people in to read the sign
board?
The merchants in Oxford are slow
to understand that if the buyer is to
know that certain articles are for sale
at bargains that the news should go
out through the newspaper so that
the public may know it.
1t may be well for the farmers to
refrain from spending money during
the holidays; it would probably be
better to put the money in an old sock
and bury it under the floor.
Within another year or two the
farmers of Lafayette county will be
in business for themselves. They
will have purchasing agents and SELL
ing agents operating through the
Farm Bureau. Flour, sugar, coffee,
shoes, clothing, wagons, stoves, har-
ness and farm utensils will be ordered
direct from the manufacturers. The
Jobbers, wholesalers and retailers
profits will then remain in the pockets
of the farmer. The farmer will then
be able to subscribe and pay for his
county paper; he will be able to buy
and pay cash for all he uses on the
farm; he will not have to rely on bor-
rowing money to make his crops, but
he will soon lift all mortgages and
own his own home. But so long as
the farmer is forced to pay high inter-
est for money to operate on, and then
be goughed by the money-grabbers
on every transaction, just so long will
ne remain dependent man.
For this reason, we have made this
edition the Farm Bureau" edition,
instead of a Christmas edition.