Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-02-16
|ENTATOR LAFOULETE TURNS
light ON SOME CRIMES OF 1920

itself. A half century ago there was
i'll the United States an approach to
equality of opportunity. Some were
richer than others, but there was an
unlimited scope for achievement
through labor, invention and enter
prise. Business was organized in
small units. Competition prevailed in
industry.
'The credit of the nation was diff
fused throughout the entire country
and was administered locally, SO that
all those who were of good character
and had reasonable security to offer
could obtain the relatively small
amounts of capital which they needed
to carry on their enterprises.
The Coming of Monopoly.
'But, sir, during the last half CEN
tuly great change has come about.
Industry, commerce and finance have
taken on monopoly forms. Monopoly
interests have acquired control not
only of the major industries but Of
raw material, of fuel, of transportation
and of credit.
during these years feeble and pitt
full attempts to prevent the growth
of these monopolies, or to control
them after they were established, have
been made from time to time, but any
critical review of the cases which were
started under the so-calIed Sherman
Act will force the unbiased mind to
the conviction that there was never
downright sincerity behind the prose-
cutions.
"The unorganized people, with their
attention constantly distracted by
false issues or betrayed by false lead
ers, have thus far been defeated in
their contests with organized wealth.
Why the People Have Failed.
"The secret of this failure, in my
opinion, lies chiefly in the fact that the
people as a whole have been unable
to comprehend what powers of wealth
learned long ago. These monopolies.
and exploiters early discovered that
the road to economic profit and power
was through the control of govern
ment.
''They knew that a man may labor
all his life with his hands or his
brains and have less at the end Of
his life of industry and frugality than
he had at the beginning. But they
learned that by the use Of the Govern
ment, The use of the state to create
special privileges, wealth beyond
measure can be amassed within a
few years.
"For that purpose they have always
been jealous to secure and maintains
control of the machinery of govern
ment- control of the presidency, con-
troll Of the United States, control Of
the House of Representatives, control
of cabinet appointments.
while the minds Of the people were
diverted by sham battles over incon-
sequential issues the powers of wealth
have spared neither trouble nor ex-
pense to insure that their servants
should be in control Of the powers Of
government.
Z Levy Tribute on Everyone.
These privileges enabled those who
possessed them to levy tribute on
every one else. They collected PEN
MES, dimes, and dollars from the mill
lions, and by SO doing accumulated bill
lions for the few.
"This they accomplished in a variety
Of ways, but chiefly by legislation re-
lating to the great fundamental eco
monte process, of which the greatest
are transportation and credit.
"The war completed the enthrone-
ment Of the profit-taxing, privileged,
imperialistic group. They found they
possessed power greater than they
had ever fully realized, and they used
it during The war and II the years inn
mediately succeeding the war as they
had never dared "a use Il before.
1sThus the economic state and TIE
political state have become - merged