The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-23
THE DISCUSSION.
a Lively Debate on Grievances and
Remedies.

for n written plan. He had not had time
10 write his plan out. He was requested
10y. the house to state it verbally. Mr.. Jor-
dan said the fine meeting here meant the
beginning of the erd Of tobacco trust
and all others. In ten years trusts will
be stamped out and prosperity viii re-
tuJn. Every evil of the trade was trace
able to the American Tobacco Company.
w are not here to fight the American
Tobacco Company, but to better our con-
hitiCn. Unfortunately to do this we must
light those who get in our way. The
leaf dealer today is at the mercy of the
american Tobacco Company. You get
"a cents n pound for your tobacco"
tCries six" six Mr.. Jordan then re-
cited the steady decline Of tobacco for
line past 10 years and told how the trust
had first gotten control of cutters and
smokers and is nov invading the plug
field. He CcntraStcd sales under the OH
regime and at the present time. and pict-
ured wildly the condition of the tobacco
farmer of the day.
You must quit growing tobacco or be
the slave of the American Tobacco Con-
Dany. or t.ld a remedy. How do the
American Tobacco Company fool the pao-
pie! In the first place some of them pose
as great religious benefactors. If a
school house or church is to be built some
body gets ON the train. goes 70 Durham
asks a trust magnate for q check for
S2oO. get 1T and goes back and tells his
folks the magnate is the finest man in the
State. They worship him instead of the
Almighty. Cries Of that's the TRUTH
A trust magnate gives 100000 for
education. Il great crowd assemblies CA
his front porch and a preacher compares
linn to Jesus Christ. Every dollar he
gave to education was robbed from
You and me. They rob us so and 1--WE
81 to education, and are called benetac-
tors and IhilanthrOIists.' Mr.. Jordan
then outlined his plan which is already
familiar to the public ard the gist Of
which appears above. He said he had
held Il consultation with capitalists III
New York last week and had been prom
ised all the capital he wanted if 80 per
cent of the farmers vii adopt his plan.
The capitalists had agreed to give the
farmers Is out Of % directors ind > out
of three men to fix the price of grades. If
the American Tobacco Company refused
to pay the prices asked independent fac
tories could be started.
The American tobacco Comply had
circulated the report thar he WIS merely
trying to force them to buy him off An
cmploye Of the company had sent him
word that if he would desist from the
fight he could have any nab. place
in the company be might ask fer. His
reply had l.cen that INC never entered any
scheme to rob his fellow MA. He did
not intend to give up the fight Till the
American Tobacco Company is wiped
from the face of the earth.
Mr.. Hutchins was called out but de-
cill1ed to speak then.
MIR. WALLER.
Zeb. Y. Waller said he had a plan he
desired To submit. He would not try to
control the whole crop but to first per-
feet the organization and then attempt
to control the prices Of strictly bright
tobacco. To attempt to control the
grades bought by the independents con-
Germs would engender their III will. The
organization should put buyers out only
for the grades used by the American
Tobacco Company, and let the buyers
price the tobacco, and if the trust will
not pay the price, let the organization
buyer take the tobacco.
Mr.. Waller said that he had not at
tempted to see whether the money to
back the scheme could be had. His plan
was practically the same as Mr.. Jor-
dams, limiting it to bright tobacco only,
III iiISltdh VI uttNiIS Luc M VII
tract to sell only to the organization let
the organizations buyers conn etc with
those Of the trust in the open market.
A Delegate Il want to say | have Il
plan, but | don't believe my plan will
work" Laughter.) He favored taking
the tax off tobacco.
DIR. FREEMAN.
DR.. Freeman. of Wilson, said that if
the farmers are TO be made to stick they
must get over Z cents Il pound. Il
know for a fact that Mr.. Duke said
when he entered the trust that if he
could find out the cost OF tobacco he
proposed to pay that and no more. | an,
not afraid to fight the devil with fire. l
favor not letting the trust have one
pound of tobacco. | favor having State
and county committees to formulate
plans, then get together and from these
make UP a plan upon which we cam act
Let us have graders who will grade the
tobacco; who will grade just as when i
goes into the manufactured product
This must be done in the counties. What
is done here is sky work to the farmers
Let the plans be discussed i'll every pre-
cinct and be understood, whatever the
obligation. / say let us crush the trus,
at all hazards as it has attempted tt
crnSh rs. wouId Obiigate myself ts