Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-14
Err " ms LAST WORDS.
1t Was Sacrifice His Head or His Prln-
oiples, and He Accepted the Former.


President Erwin has addressed the
oIlowing letter to the Kentucky Al
lance which are the farewell word,
Of a dethroned leader:
To the Brotherhood # Kentucky
sBy recent action of the State Eek
ecutive board I, as your State presi
dent and editor of your official or
n, the Kentucky Site Uuian, have
'een compelled to accept one Of two
alternatives, to wit: To retract ut.
terances l humbly and conscientious
ly believed were true concerning the
1roWrrs' Association, or re IL q
residency Of an organization luN
lexl to my religion and my IA il.
AS an honest man, as Christian and
as a member of our beloved order, ]
had no choice save to give up the pc
Sition to which you had elevated III,
could not be false TO the promise ]
made you to jealousy guard and de
fend your interests and the honor Of
the Union.
The facts in ther ease are as follows:
gave this Tobacco Growers Asso.
citation my hearty sympathy and ac-
tive support, both at Bardstown and
Lexington. / did all could to adj
vance its interests both upon the
stump and through the press, be-
Iieving it to be of vital importance
to the growers of the State of Ken
lucky to be able to handle their to-
bacco through a house of their own
but, when ! saw that ia member Of
the Tobacco Exchange had been
made director of the new ware
hOuse-one who had figured prOmi-
nently in bringing about a consolida-
ton of the warehouse interests of
Louisville and Cincinnati, and when
| further discovered from the cOnsti.
tuition and bylaws of the Tobacco
Growers Association that they had
reserved to themselves the privilege
of buying, selling and rehaudling !
could not but fear for the results
which grow out of such a combina-
ton of powers, and thus fearing ]
could not do otherwise than sound
note of warning to those who looked
to me as their editor and chief exec
utive for advice. Nor is this all. To
my surprise l discovered upon in
vestigation that the secretary of the
Gro wers' Association was a man who
had vainly tried for a month to
obtain position in the Louisville
and Cincinnati combine, and who
declared that he would work for such
combine for enough money, as he
twas out for the stuff" That man
is and was one Mr.. Neal, business
manager of the Farmers Home
Journal, paper which, it is pro-
posed, shall act as the official organ
Of the Farmers and Laborers' Union
o. Kentucky.
Now, brethren, could you expect
me tp act otherwise than | did in
warning you of the impending dan
ger, and could you expect justice at
the hands of such a combination of
materials? Our brethren we can al
ways trust, but what can we say or
expect of those whose interests are
not identified with our own? My
conception of it was that my head
or principles was demanded. / chose
the former, which necessitated my
resignation as president of our order
in whose interests | have labored
faithfully for six long and tOilsome
years. | now withdraw from the
field penniless and broken down in
health to start life's battle anew.
But rest assured that my heart is
with you in the great work of eman-
cipating yourselves from the iniquit.
Gus system of slavery upon us all.
AT my solicitation Brother VIM
has reviewed The evidence and all the
facts in the case, and
heartily indorses my course and posi-
ton. S. b. ERWIN.