Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-02-02
Brings Good Cheer to the To-
bacco Growers In
Their Fight.
THE CONTEST is WON.
Strong Friends Stand Ready
to Back up the Strug-
Cling Planters.
(To the KenItullckian:)

IienraVenp Tenn, Jan. 81, lSuo.
AS time wears on, interested in
terest on the part Of those not SO Sc
riously affected, and enthusiasm on
the part of those who are, increases
in the effort the tobacco planter has
made to free himself from the con-
troll Of the large tobacco corpora
tons, which have had in their pos
session both ends of the situation
the buying and the selling.
In the matter of the planters eff
fort, the old story reasserts itself,
one must achieve certain success to
be fully imbued with the idea that
success is possible, and that honor
able success is laudable. There is
a glistening, tingling sensation of
delight in pure-hearted man to
feel that he has not been slothful.
He has been alert, he has been So
gacious, he has won success and 9TH
ers have been benefited by his sue
cess. 1
II would not take a man of keen
perception, in travelling through the
tobacco district today, TO preceive
that ten thousand men had shout
dered the responsibility for the sue
cess of this movement. This inter-
est has grown so intense that this
determination is no longer an effort,
but pleasant duty, which casts a
respondent light ahead of it.
1t was in the beginning a doubt
full, patriotic few. 1t is now an ar
my composed entirely of command
ers. Every member of this associa
tian has his sphere of usefulness and
influence, and he is exerting it every
day and every hour for the up
building of this cause, which means so
much to so many.
The census Of 1900 shows there
are 100000 inhabitants Of the six
teen counties comprising our Associ-
alton. These are, of course. not all
tabacco planters, but as tobacco
should be the money crop Of the dis
trict, because of the soil and climate,
all these are more or less interested,
and many of them just ss much 50
as the planter himself.
For instance, the merchant at the
railroad station, the country doctor
and the rural bank. What have
they to expect, when tobacco sells
below the cost Of production? They
expect to help; they are helping as
interestedly and as earnestly as
could be desired. We're it necessary,
there is no doubt they would contrib
ute time and money to the planters
The success Of the undertaking is
phenomenal, and the glory Of it is
shared, equally, by every honest
heart, which proclaims citizenship,
the right to manage ones own af-
fairs and the courage To sustain this
right.
This is the planters march of
progress. If, from his amiability,
he has too long ignored his possible
ties, he is now thoroughly awake to
them, and is marching forward with
2 steady and determined stride.
This organization is but four
months old, and doubtless could en-
roll $4,000 active supporters, not
superannuated and weakened sol
diers, but valiant and strong.
Could Alexander, or Frederick the
Great, or the mighty Napoleon have
enlisted such an army in such a short
time? No, and the explanation is the
between an army of in
vasion and an army of protection,
The fight of the Association has
simply been one of protection. The
unquestionable rights of the planter
have been trampled in the mire.
dragged hither and thither, TO and