The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-09-13
Strength in Organization.
ADDRESS TO THE NORTH CAROLINA TO-
BACCO GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

| Zatton Upon the Tobacco Growers
The Cause of the Low Price of North
Carolina Bright Leaf, and the Rem.
edy-The Farmers Must Organize
for SeIf-Protection.
! The following circular letter, ad
dressed to the tobacco growers o.
North Carolina, has been sent to the
GoLn LEAF for publication:
At 4 meeting of the executive com
mittee in the city of Raleigh. May
oath, the Secretary of the North Caro-
was requested to issue an address tt
the tobacco growers in the bright
tobacco belt calling their attention t,
the Association, its scope and pur
poses.
| The necessity of an organization O
tobacco growers of the State was dis
cussed at some Of the agricultural
meetings during the State Fair il
Raleigh, October, 1899. From this &
call was issued by Mr.. j. Bryan
Grimes, who had been chosen presi
dent of the temporary association, fol-
a tobacco growers convention to NEE,
in the city of Raleigh. Decemb Der 9th
1899. and another convention was held
at Raleigh, January 7th, 1900.
| The convention in January was
well attended by growers, warehouse
men and others interested in tobacco
from this State and Virginia. At thi:
meeting a permanent organization
was effected, and the North Carolins
| Tobacco Growers Association sprane
into existence, with well defined pur
poses; not rival, but an ally to The
other farmers organizations in the
State.
| The tobacco growers were ably rep
resented and the personnel of the
convention was strong. The griev
ances of the tobacco growers were Sc,
before the convention, and with sing
ularly unanimity it was agreed tha
they could be remedied. The concen
sus of opinion was: That there are
no influences set in motion by mar
that cannot be met and remedied by
men" The present low prices o
tobacco and their causes were dis
cussed. 1t was shown that while tn,
acreage had materially increased dur
ing the last decade that the consump
ton also of tobacco had kept apac,
with the increase, and, in fact, if sucl
a thing were possible, that the mex
few years would see the consumption
outstrip the increase in yield. New
territory has been invaded and manu-
factured North Carolina bright to
bacco is no longer stranger in th
Orient, nor in the islands of th'
Pacific ocean, while South Africa ant
other new territory are asking for ou
golden leaf. With the increased
demand and the limited area tha
grows bright tobacco, the grower
could see no just cause for the low
prices. In fact, could see no caus
at all except such as has been brough
about by the American Tobacco Com
pany.
| 1t is alleged that this company get
as much per pound, or 1000, for it
products now as it did ten years ago
when they paid two or three times a
Ill uCH lOI Cuc law HIdtellai rs Luc
now pay. This has been made pos
sible with them by organization AM
controlling the situation. They saw
the necessity of controlling the out
put of manufactured tobacco, as wei
as the raw material. TO this effec
they have purchased or otherwis
silenced nearly all strong competi
| R1-f fh;S koy- toll
buyers off the warehouse floors, a
) we'll as the sellers of manufacture
tobacco from out of the markets. L
this way they have shown us tn
power and effectiveness Of organiza
ton. They have given the grower
an object lesson that they should no
be slow to profit by. The interes
that was evinced at the Januar
meeting Of the tobacco growers show
the matter. They have been workin
for the enrichment Of the trusts, an
to the mpovcrishment of their ow
farms and families. until they hav
decided to make a change-to find
remedy for the low prices or max
one, as President Grimes SO well sal
in his address before that body. som
insist that if the remedy lies in OIL
ganization. we will never get it, As I h
organization of the famers is an i'm
possibility.
Old army officers laughed in scor
at the idea of Napoleon crossing til
Alps with his army, something tina
| onl
sidered by them impossible. Not ;
with Napoleon. He said: '.Impos
sible is the word to be found in tn
dictionary of FOOLS" He charged tn
mighty peaks and crags, where armie
and cannon had never been. With
few days the ''impossible" had bee
accomplished. and he and his army {
sixty thousand had crossed the Alp
and were marching through the plain
, of Italy. The possibilities Of deter
mined men have never been mea:
ured. The organization of he farm
ers-the tobacco growers-is a po:
t siblity born of necessity. Have tn
| farmers less at stake. less to accom-
| plish, than other classes? The vel
), dict Of the public is that no class ca
2 be benefited more than they by di
+ Greet, compact organization, Th
motives that impel them, the nece
e sity that drives them, are factors tn:
: will give them strength. The Anne
: ican Tobacco Company is organize
: for the added accumulation OF wealtl
: The farmers need to organize for sci
h preservation. Which will outweig
f the love Of the dollar or a desire
): perpetuate the freedom and liberti
5 that our fathers gave us for an inhe
e itance? Which should make u
' stronger appeal to man, the enrichil
e of the few at the expense Of the man
J. or the giving TO our families the col
z forts of home educational and 9th