The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-27
THE WEATHER YESTERDAY was partly
cloudy. or clear, and pleasant.
Rnnoe of T7.ernonrer at the Dispatch o7ce
h@o"se W A''I, .ntoR ig7s ~"
LOCAL MATTERS.

AN INp1GNATIoE MEETING AT THB TOBACCO
ExCHANGE--A NEWSPAPER DENoUNcEs THE
TOBACCO TRADE AND THE TRADE RETALIATEs.-
A meeting of the Tobacco Exchange was
held yesterday ut noon--B. g. Gray (presi-
denD In the chair; Peyton Wise secretary.
On motion Of G. &. Barksdale the rules Of
the Exchange were suspended in order to
permit the introduction of resolutions.
The Chair announced that the meeting had
been called for the purpose of taking some
action in reference TO an editorial article pub
lished In weekly paper called the Virgin'd
Patron. entitled "The Future of Peters.
burg; the offensive portion OF which IS as
follows:
"Within the last week We have seen seVe-
raj large planters who have always hereto
fore sold their tobacco ia Richmond. They
say that they sold their crops in Petersburg !;
that they obtained satisfactory prices, and
did not meet with so many offensive restric.
tions there as in Richmond. What does this
meap? These gentlemen are justly iGtluen-
tial in their several counties. and their re-
ports will carry great weight with their
neighbors.
"The country people of the State. thanks
to the educ,tory Influences of the Grange,
are arousipg to the eBtortions and indigni-
ties practiced by the secret rings called ex-
changes and controlled by the 'pin.hookers,
end they are determined to submit to them
no longer. We are aware that the country
people baye warm friends even in that pu-
trid excresence on fair dealing called the
Tobacco Exchange: but they are in the mi-
nority. The commission merchants sell the
planters tobacco under the shadow of their
secret sales buy the tobacco themselves at
the lowest possible price, and sell it again st
the highest. These men do not intend to re-
lease their hold on their lucrative traffic, and
the country people will be forced to seek
another market. They have no hope for re-
lief from the Legislature. They have only
to examine the journal of the Senate to see
that many of the country senators, led BY
MIR. Smith, Of Nelson, threw their influence
in favor of the Tobacco Exchange, in the
face of the openly.eXpressed will of the
planters, and the friends of the farmers in
that body were forced to resort to the dodge
of an indetinite pOstponemeat to avoid de-
feat by the unnatural alliance formed by the
city and country delegates in favor OF the
'pin-hookers.'
.And now the trade of Richmond is in
danger, and Richmond's extremity is Peters
burg's opportunity. Wise and prudent mea.
sures will secure the great tobacco trade ol
soutbside Virginia to that city which offers
the most acceptable market"
After reading the entire article the Presl-
dent stated that the paper referred 10 was sup.
ported by the patronage OF the grange; but
that the article was so shocking to common
decency that he could hardly think it met
with the approval of the officers OF the
grange. What the Tobacco Exchange lad
to do with this matter was with the author
who penned it; and when he did so be knew
that il was base falsehood. The speaker
then took occasion to state that be thought
the respectable press of Richmond ought 10
have defended the tobacco trade Of Rich
mond against these charges.
w. D. Gibson said that at first he thought
| it would have been best to treat the publ.
cation with silent contempt, but be bad
changed his mind, AS the paper might fall in
the hands of some persons who weuId be-
lieve the tasehood. He therefore presented
the following, which were unanimously
agreed to:
Whereas there appears in the Virginia Pa.
| troaa, newspaper published in the city OF
Richmond, of the date Goth Of August last,
! the following under editorial sanctum. Here
follows the offensive portion Of the artlcle.l
Resolued, That re, the tobacco trade OF
| the city OF Richmond, meet this foul asper.
sion with ut denial, brand it with false
hood in its whole scope and bearing, and de-
nounce the publication as altogether un'
| founded.
On motion CT S. NJ. Bailey the meeting
adjourned.