The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-17
THE TOBACCO GROWERS ORGANIZE.
An Able Address by Mr.. Parker to Tobacco
Growers Association.

]
mttee in the city Of Raleigh, May "a.
| the Secretary of the North Carolina To-
bacco Growers Association was requested
| to issue an address to the tobacco grow
ers in the bright tobacco belt, calling
| their attention to the Association, it's
scope and purposes. The necessity Of an
| organization of the tobacco growers of
| the State was discussed at some of the
agricultural meetings during the State
Fair in Raleigh, October. 1899. \ From this
| a call was issued by Mr.. J. Bryan Grimes
] who had been chosen President of the
| temporary organization, for a tobacco
| growers convention to meet in the city
of Raleigh, December 6th 1899, and
another convention was held at Raleigh
| January 18th, 1900.
This convention in January was we'll
attended by growers, warehousemen and
| others Interested in tobacco from this
State and Virginia. At this meeting a
| permanent organization was effected, and
the North Carolina Tobacco Growers AS
| ISOLATION sprang into existence with well
defined purposes, not a rival; but an ally
| to the other farmers organizations in
the State.
The tobacco growers were ably repre-
scented and the personnel of the cOnven-
tion was strong. The grievances of the
| tobacco growers were set before the con-
| venton, and with singular unanimity it
was agreed that they could be remedied.
! The consensus of opinion was: That
| there are no influences set in motion by
| man, that can not be met and remedied
| by men. The present low prices of to-
| baccO and their causes were discussed.
While it was shown that the acreage
| had materially increased during the last
| decade; that the consumption also of to-
| bacco had kept apace with the increase,
| and in fact if such a thing were possible;
| that the next few years would see the
| consumption outstrip the increase in
| yield. New territory has been invaded
| and manufactured North Carolina bright
| tobacco is no longer a stranger in the
| Orient, nor in the islands of the Pacific
ocean, while South Africa and other new
| territory are asking for our golden leaf.
| With the increased demand, and the
| limited area that grows bright tobacco,
| the growers could see no just cause for
the present low prices. In fact could see
no cause at all except such as has been
brought about by the American Tobacco
| Company.
1t is alleged that this company gets as
much per pound or per 1000, for it's pro-
ducts now as it did ten years ago, when
| they paid two or three times as much for
the raw material as they now pay. This
has been made possible with them by
organization and controlling the situa-
| ton. They saw the necessity of controll
! ing the output of manufactured tobacco.
| Of bo rio1
To this effect they have purchased or
! otherwise silenced nearly all strong COM
petition. BY this means they have taken
| buyers off the warehouse floors, as well
| as sellers of manufactured tobacco from
| out of the markets In this way they
have shown us the power and effective
ness of organization. They have given
the growers an object lesson that thev
! should not be slow to profit by. The in
terest that was evinced at the January
| meeting of the tobacco growers showed
their zeal and determination in the mat
| ter. They have been working for the
enrichment of the trusts, and to the i'm
poyerishment of their own farms and
| families, until they have decided to make
change-to find remedy for the low
prices or make one, as President Grimes
body Some insist that if the remedy
lies in organization, we will never get
it, as the organization 'of the farmers is
! an impossbility.
Old army officers laughed in scorn at
the idea of Napoleon crossing the Alps
with his army. Something that had
never been done and was considered by
them impossible. Not so with Napoleon
He said: Impossible is a word to be
found only in the dictionary of fools" He
charged the mighty peaks and crags
where armies and cannon had never
been. Within few days the "impossi-
BILE" had been accomplished and he and
his army OF sixty thousand had crossed
the Alps and were marching through The
plains of Italy. The possibilities OF dc
termined men have never been measured
The organization of the farmers-the to-
bacco growers, is possibility born OF
necessity. Have the farmers less at
stake less to accomplish than other
classes? The verdict of the public is that
no class can be benefited more than
they by discreet, compact organization
The motives that impel them the neces-
sity that drives them. are factors that
will give them strength. The American
Tobacco Company organized for the added
accumulation of wealth. The farmers
need to organize for self preservation
Which shall outweigh, the love of the
dollar, or desire to perpetuate the free
dom and liberties that our fathers gave
us as an inheritance? Which should
make the stronger appeal to man, the
enriching of the few at the expense OF
the many or the giving to our families
the comforts of home, educational and
other advantages that rightfully belong
to them. Shall the love of money make
a stronger appeal to the Trust than the
love of home and all that the name car
ries with it does to us? AS men we
should spurn the thought. We can
master the. situation. We can cross the
ALPS" 1t is not impossible. Nothing
that is possible, is impossible to deter
mined men, We do not lack the
strength, but the will; for we are as
strong as we are determined. The i'm
possible belong to the weak and vacl-
lating
BY organization, such as the Tobacco
Growers Association is working for, the
tobacco growers can maintain their po-