The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-04-07
TosAcco TARIFFS.

oaiiau.y County Tobseco nan w11.s
Letter to Senator Cockreli, Asking ~
Kind Attention to Few Pomt-
Thefs sre Times when Things ID houe
i Sometinss Need the Most Atsenfion-
ST. LoCls, March 2S-The followinR
open letter to Senator Cockrell. when
appeared in the St. Louts Republic. ex-
plains some points not gene. ally kno~n
in Missouri -" ere 7-' ~ -
! Ron p NJ CockrsH Fasaiseton d c. .ez.s
As tn OF your constituents, Interested ootn
In the welfarS of our producers sud the eenefsI
business prosperity, % our state. intimaisU
connected with the tobaesc interests OF Cans
way county for the past fffsea years. sao
having gone through its ups sndssooSns
duri * that length OF time -tnsns ~
justffed m asking your kind attSnuo1 70
iSS points stated - briefly as poGssos.
In regard 70 SHAT clause In the tarlS
hin Going away Siih tire sale OF free leaf To-
bacco.' We have known fus some sine pnss tho
manufacturers of leaf tobacco hove had aPor
erful lobby in Washington trying - bring tmS
aesut They tried 20 IN the house rHa thS
frau.cfs Of the "tariI lill," but could syais
nothing; they siss made strong enort W.
the senate subcommittee. and up 10 March ~
ises had not been able 70 get them to MAKE
o clause discriminating in their favor After
this bill left them Ii seems thst -tne
clause" was fnsertcc, and the same seem*
to lie entirely for the Lenest and protection
Of the corporations. II could rsf Le Tor tets-
ore II 50, why did they not plt q I'VE on manE :
fac.afsd goods Of u cents and on raw jeaf OF 9
cents or pat the old tar OF g license On ever
merchant who sells tobacco In any 10. u.
EE.,h~r OF thes, woulI hate brought mucn
larger nctise. II r5 very eyldent. 10 my mind.
and to any man tslRy acquainted with botn
sides. that the manufacturers want the entlEe
control OF the final output o. al tobacco NO
man on the outside knows the power or money
abilities these corporations have reseted uut
f1g their co-p1rtuership with the governeenI
There l. no doubt but what IL Is monopcay
that the foTe-nrnent bas sustained, and
they have received good income from 1t.
but no letter than the osher side, and from
this protection the manufacturers hasc be-
come even strong enough to tc.n over TO any
ane state they may choose the whole pisg ans
sn0Fsirs tobacco business The nusfnsss ot
the dealers and rehaudlers OF the Ieaf In tk's
state has been ruined hy these large corpora
tions absorbing the small manufacturers. and
the- ,urninx over their entire patronage 10 the
state ofl Esntucky. This simply because -
pounds of Keu.Dcky hurley ieaf stemmed
will absorb 40 to IS pounds OF cheap
licorice, sugar. or whstever tney want
70 put in Missouri hurley VIII NOS
aSsSs- much. yet there are very lew ous
thar VIII IAssflt AllsSOQr1 SpOuS fs'Sr SSS@
chew. but you cai n-. &c. 40 pounds OF Seent
strr in any Missouri bsIeS. This 10 pounds
sells ut . cents to IS cents. owing TO grade
So you see manufacturers n can pld DO own .
pound VI manufactured goods az Rocut tne
same t1e raS leaf costs -Four or nfe OF
the largest manufacturers In the world. loes'eo
In t,lc city of ST. Louis, Use yerv little II any
Missouri tobacco. They are seldom. II ever.
represented on tfio 81 reaks'' Of the 81 Louis
I.s:rket.
Missouri has no market and her dealers and
producers vino sSd rot gone 10 pieces when the
law was CHANGED so Us 70 allow the sale OF raw
leaf ut once took advantage OF an outiet Tor
our tahacco. knowing that Sooh Caliaway.
Pike. Eoassd or Usage county virssn soil lear
ma ic better ehS@ or smoke than ninc'tenths
Of the manufactured rccris OF to-day, anu Tor
the pa.t three years have l Ca, .ndeavoring to
work up an outlet for the probation OF our
counties These large corporations ssk that
they be rlIds to step dowa and out a-aln or
slsc .Iar the same tax manufacturers do, wnteh
they can not de. So much for our little bust
ness interests
But what Of our producers and that large
fcrtiol Of our state so finely adapted 10 Iais-
ing torae.s-the iimbeTed lands? They can
not raise wheat ~ tho price. This land Is not
strong enough for co.a, so tobacco IS their
best and only show, and they tf'sst have mar
ket or outlet for their production The farmer
can dris ve;ail n very little. and manufseiurers
know this. ct that clause would have been ieft
out too. Supposti soI take the tax on manu-
factared tobaccO-IraEe them retail their own
productions at homo in thsir factories only
as they ask farmers TO do. PSt the tax on
leaf eiro the farmer the assistance OF tbs
retail mcHchsns and iobber. and in thirty
years there will not be thirty manufacturers
in the UniieI States. but every quarter section
of tobacco land in our country will blossom
NI,N ~ snFt tho
comforts that make farm life worth living In
stead OF an etcrHal dru ige-the profits OF which
continually so into the hands OF favored few
TO build granite blocks Of GeaUtiful edifices in
our cities Tobacco In its raw state is not
luxury 10 the producer. but his bread and meat,
and shouli lie as free from the barter and
trade OF every man as corn. rye. oats. wheat
or potato,s. The farmers Of our state are
preparing to plant . large acreage this year
What Is to be done with IL: This will be
produced especially for the retail trade.
being largely old style virgin soil 1llerS
In many sections there is no market fof
any such tobaccoS, as manufacturers are nos
using them. II allowed the same facilities 70
dispose Of this leaf as manufacturers have
there Is Il market for them on paying basis,
and our virgin soil nllers will not be long in
again assuming their strong position. both in
the open and retail markets Many merchants
refuse TO handle them yet because OF the red
tape business placed over them ny the special
rulings of tae commissioner OF Internal
revenue. But not word OF complaint has
come on this score. nor have the producers
and dealers asxcI for any more than was
granted them by republican congress-
To have the free sale Of the products OF their
soil taken away by the demand Of corporations,
backed up with established brands and inn
manse capital on a bid OF 8 cents per pound
for tn, eutirc con.:ol of one OF the most i'm
portaut industries Of our country. would be
shamc upon the name OF democracy. and for
body OF men to grant such request, knowing
that they represent a people whose cry as they
marched to the polls WIS Away with the pro-
lection OF monopoly and centralized capital
teading TO monopoly" should and will GER
tainly furnish food for serious considera
tion on their part Finally / would mod
estly suggest that manufacturers co not
want the tax taken OF manufactured to-
ba 90 You will doubtless recall that In
1920 there was IN effort made by the small
to DO away with the whole
thin: and many eolgressmcn favored IL. but
the big m7nuia turerS came In and said:
Don't do it." Why: They know that As soon
Us the government takes its wat, hful eye on
tobacco there will be IN ond to
the special value Of trade marks. brands
tie man" wouli be as big rs
the Zig m1a"-they would be out on
the wOrlI-On Al equal footing with other
M n. with no show to sIy: This brand must
goods or. 1t you sell this cigarette you must
sell il exclusively" Has this been done: The
res or Is OF tn, supreme courts OF several states
will sustain tn statement
PARDON me for taking so much OF you- valua-
lie tina, when the eyes OF all men seem t1 be
on import duties. but Il is nj jas. such y time
as this that thin-s at homs SON tim X need
CAILAwAY CcUSrY