The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-04-20

even LOEm q CONJECTURE as 20 what Is TO |
be the future of the market" Now if
those who make their living by specu
lating in tobacco are entirely at sea,
and in uncertainty, how is any farmer
to act9 Is he to go it blind9
After the sale, I had talk with a
shop keeper who retails vast quantities
of manufactured tobacco He said that |
for many years there had been no |
marked change in the price of manu-
factured tobacco. No wonder, then,
that some of the manufact cturers are
making colossal fortunes and becoming
millionaires.
My mind naturally reverted to the
Border Tobacco Association, which
was organized in Durham some years
ago, and had such glorious meeting
in Oxford, where the Association had
the hospitalities of the town exter ded.
to themselves, they were dined and
wined to such fulIness that it took
three men to moderate the meeting,
and the minutes and action of the vari-
GUS committees got 80 mixed up that
they never could be printed, notwith.
standing large collection was made
for that specific purpose. The three
delegates from Alamance, B. z. and
P, walked up to the clerks table and
laid down each silver dollar. was
not delegate, but I was there and
saw and heard something. No minutes
have ever been printed; at least, none
have ever come to Alamance, nor have
those silver dollars ever been returned,
and as we had to tear ourselves away
from our kind hosts and run for the
train, we cannot think for moment
that a charge was against the chair
man, for Baldy gave him bottle Of
his best.
AS the Association is defunct, pre-
sumo it is lawful at this late day to
speak of the proceedings. Well, to
begin: Some time during the second
day of the meeting delegation from
the A. T. @. was announced. The
chairman ruled that the Border Asso
citation, being secret organization, the
delegates from the A. 7. @. could not
be admitted to the Association. How
ever, committee from the Border AS
sociation was appointed to confer with
them and report to the Association. AS
we'll as can recollect, there we're five
delegates from the A. T. @. One Of
the Mr.. Dukes and Mr.. Geo. Watts, of
Durham, were reported to be the chief
speakers. The substance of their re,
marks as reported to the Border Asso-
citation, was:
| eve, the American Tobacco Com
pany, have not organized to injure the
farmer. We are going to do what the
farmer has been making unavailing at
tempts to do: that is, to knock out the
middle man and dispense with the leaf
dealer. To do this, we intend to put
on each leading market a salarled
buyer; by so doing, the tobacco bought
by us can be more uniformly graded.
The profits that now go to the leaf
dealer will be divided with the farmer.
We intend to deal fairly and literally
with the farmers, but you farmers
must not call us by hard names, for we
have enough tobacco now in storage to
do US several years, and it is just as we
please whether we buy your tobacco or
not"
Now it seems that the members of
the Border Association became afraid
of the A. T. @. and saw that that
formidable trust or combine was
stronger than the Jute Bagging Trust.
AS the sons of jeremiah were to David
too hard for him, so we're the Dukes,
Watts, Aliens Ginters, ct al for the
Border Association.
The price of tobacco soon declined ;
down, down it has gone, while the
goods of the A. T. 9. have remained
about the same. Uncle Wash Duke,
his sons and Mr.. Watts have become
milli0naires. Many persons blame
them. lido not. They have done, and
are still doing, what the majority Of
the human race would gladly do.
What is needed is to abolish all trusts
and combines; abolish the tobacco tax
and give every man an even chance in
life. The Mesers. Dukes and Watts
are liberal supporters of their respective
churches, patrons of learning and
abundant in charities. How they
spend their money does not concern Us
but the manner in which they get it
does. They have pretty effectively
knocked out the Durham tobacco mar
ket, the leaf dealers and the farmers.