Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-07
That "Home Thrust. -

Ing the position that speculation in
tobacco makes high prices, builds up
markets and puts money in tanners,
pockets. Buyer in no fair sense
meets the question or controverts the
position on something he cannot do,
but shows his ignorance of the whole
subject by lodging the issue made by
himself. "warehousemen" and the
American abondons the aggressive
and takes the defensive, and denying
the premises assumed in the outset
in which they proposed to swoope
down like some soaring eagle on
another bird of prey not quite so
lofty, and gob3le the GAINESVILLE
trade. They seemed to labor under
the impression that GAINESVILLE was
PROSTATE from the failure of several
warehouses and banks, and there was
nothing to do but pick our carcass.
The LEAF CHRONICLE warned them,
as old Rumtelt did the buzzard, that
we were not yet dead. Now Buyer"
sets out with some of Sam Jones
stale sayings about throwing stones
among dogs, ETC., denying that any
thing had been said about GAINESVILLE
or her warehouses, or that there was
any crying out for any more ware
housemen. This was unfortunate for
Buyer if he expects to impress his
arguments upon the readers of the
American. Tobacco growers or
dealers who read that paper know
that every article appearing in the
American on the subject was aimed
directly at Clarksviile, the very first
attack appearing editorially, calling
GAINESVILLE by name, referring to the
distressed condition by reason of
failures and urging business men to
take advantage of the situation, build
warehouses, and make fight for the
trade, that there was money in it,
etc. Inducements were also held out
for experienced tobacconists to go to
Nashville where there was plenty OF
money. And then we find Mr.. Nat
Dortch, warehOuseman, writing in
the same paper, Sunday with Buy
err pleading for more warehouses,
made up of men of experience with
capital and a representative of such
counties as Robertson, Chatham,
Montgomery, Stewart, etc. These
able writers and tobacco SOlOmOns
may have seen the sign some where,
"He That Smokes Tobacco Knows
Something, but Buyer" taking the
position he does, will not fail in con
VinCing growers and dealers that he
is pretty good Reggie agent and
knows the cool of maintaining a
very conservative" market in pref
erence to specula ion, We are willing
to concede that Nashville is a very
good market for the upper Cumber-
land growers; their tobacco suits the
Reggie trade very we'll and no other
market wants it. Snuff men may
take a little of it, and whatever good
to fine qualities may stray off to that
market will find the pin hookers
ready to take it at slight advance
over Reggie figures, and ship to Clarks-
vile as they have been doing all
along.
Nashville undertook to make this
fight some ears ago when GAINESVILLE
was very weak and nearly every
house here broke. Some of our to-
baccOnists went up to help the Gilman
cial center" make the fight, and soon
knock ed the "center" out, making
an utter failure. Buyer" and "Ware-
houseman" have tod in a former issue
OF the American why they failed.
Because said the writer "the tobacco
in the dark belt has for some years
been largely controlled by spectators,
and other means to which our con
serYative business men would not
resort" This confession certainly
established the fact that speculation
does build up tobacco markets, This
market built up ON ii to the tune of
! 10000 hogSheads year. There has
| always been spectators here to con
test with the Reggie agents for the bet
| ter qualities, suited to the Austrian,
| Italian, German and African trades,
| 1t is nonsense to tell farmers that
| they don't get the benefit of this
competition because most of them
sell to country dealers. The competi-
| ton is first between the country
dealers, and half of them break every
year, paying farmers more money
for the tobacco than they can sell it
for on a high market. Moreover,
many farmers do not sell loose but
sell directly on the market and Of
course get the benefit OF any advance
that country dealers and their ware.
housemen may work up by bulling
the market.
1t is another flct that GAINESVILLE
has maintained the highest prices Of
any dark market and that is what
brings the tobacco. Speculation
makes high prices, high prices draw