The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-07-17
LETTER FROM .vANcR COUNTY.

Mr.. EDIToR:-While the papers of
the country are writing &C much about
trusts, I would like to say a few words
i'm regards to the tobacco trust. Be-
fore Mr.. Cleveland was elected Presl-
dent of the United States the farmers
of this section got very fair prices for
tobacco. Mr.. Cleveland advised Con-
gress in his first message not to take
the tax off of tobacco. Then there
The American Tobacco Company got
the DOOR farmer right where they
wanted him, and as long as this In,
fernal revenue-that is what the Demo,
cratic speakers called it before that
message Cleveland sent to Congress,
but they have fell in line and with
their leaders are working as hard as
they can to ruin the tobacco raisers OF
this country. Look at the prices OF
leaf tobacco: The average brand or to
bacco of five hundred pounds would
bring over $50, and there are lots of
them that won't bring over S. and $40
for FIVE hundred pounds. To make a
barn of fue cured tobacco it takes two
cords of wood and about n weeks
work, night and day, to cure it after
it is made; and after it is cured, ittakes
about four days to strip this barn OF
tobacco.
Mr. Editor, what has become Of the
manhood that was once in the Demo
cratic party or leaders9 Have they
lost the last spark of it, and have they
gone right along with those Northern
Republicans and Democrats and sold
out to the American lob Acco Company
What a shame it is to go about this to-
bacco country and see the misery this
trust is causing, and how long will it
be before there is a change for the
better7
1t does look to me, Mr.. Editor, if the
tax was taken from tobacco and let the
maker of it do as he pleased with it,
that we would have a good country
soon, and I am satisfied that the only
thing that can bust up this company
that is robbing the farmer is to take off
this tax or shackels off of the farmer
and let him manufacture what tobacco
he makes.
Mr.. Editor, with the tax taken from
tobacco you would see more machines
going through this country granulat-
ing the farmers tobacco into smoking
tobacco than you ever saw wheat
threshers at harvest time. The farmer
could put his smoking tobacco up in
barrels and boxes and ship and trade
with his Western neighbor and could
get % cents a pound for the same to
bacco that he only gets two and a half
cents for now.
The American Tobacco Company and
the Democratic party allow these rob-
bers to charge the people go and 80
cents a pound for the same tobacco
that they pay the farmer two and a
half cents for. The farmer would get
a better price for his tobacco and the
user of the tobacco would get his to:
bacco cheaper.
Mr.. Editor, will you please write to
some Democratic Congressman and
ask them how long have the farmers of
this country got to haul their tobacco
to the American Tobacco Company
and get on their knees and ask them
how much will you pay me for my to.
bacco. and beg them not to steal it all,
as your poor wife and children worked
night and day to help make it and they
need a dress or a pair of shoes out OF
this load.
A man has to give a five thousand
dollar bond to make smoking tobacco,
and yet some people say that a bond
amt much to give. I suppose from
this that they haven't tried lately.
MI. Editor, your paper is opening
the eyes of the readers, and I hope by
the time another election comes around
we won't have so many sorry Gideone
to fight. You know what I mean by
the sorry ones; you will find them run,
ming government stills and other small
jobs for the dirty work they did against
the Farmers Alliance and their cause.
Good bye. GEO. ORENsHAw.
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