The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-02-23
Farmers TO the Front |

Last saturday, the 18th was a "Ral-
ly Day. among the farmers Of this
and adjoining counties. The court
room was packed TO the doors by
farmers from Prince Edward, Char
lotte, Cumberland, buckingham, APP
pomattox and Amelia, who listened
with rapt attention TO speakers from
Kentucky and Tennessee, and cheered
Justify in appreciation Of the senti-
ments uttered and the anecdotes re-
lated.
The meeting was called TO order at
1870 A. NJ. 10y Prof J. y. Morton and
was opened with prayer by the Rev.
J. IL. Davis.
After few appropriate words Of in
/ PRODUCTION, Prof. Morton presented TO
the audience Mr.. John Allen, who in
troduced the other speakers one by
one.
The first speaker introduced by Mr.
Allen was Gen. Felix G.. Ewing, Cen
eral Manager Of the Dark Tobacco
Growers Association OF Kentucky
and Tennessee, and now Of Virginia,
also.
Gen. Ewing is undoubtedly the
head and chief stay Of the Association,
and TO him more than TO any other
one man is due the measure Of success
thus far attained by the Association.
Everyone was delighted with his
straightforward, clear, business state
ment of what had thus far been ac-
cOmplished, and Of what was proposed
and destined to be accomplished in the
future.
Gen. Ewing referred briefly to the
efforts that have been made TO get the
Is cent tax on the sale Of leaf tobacco
repealed by Congress efforts which
may yet prove successful and thus
furnish a measure Of relief to tobacco
planters.
He also spoke of the effort to prose
cute the tobacco trusts under the
United States antitrust laws, and
how that had thus far failed through
the seeming inability Of the Attorney
General to get the necessary testimony
proving an agreement between the
different corporations i'm restraint Of
trade.
He then briefly but touchingly re-
lated how, despairing Of relief by
these means, he had turned to the
farmers themselves and called upon
them to unite in the determined ef-
fort TO free themselves from the
grasp Of a heartless trust. He spoke
Of the first feeble start and slow
growth OF the movement, OF the many
difficulties and discOuragements that
beset their first endeayOrs, OF the grad
ual increasing interest and then more
rapid growth until they succeeded i'm
securing for the Association 1900
hOgsheads OF tobacco Of 1904 crop.
Then came a time that tried mems
souls. The tobacco trusts refused
with scOrn at first to touch pound Of
their tobacco, and months OF patient
waiting, Of severe struggle, Of heroic
effort followed. The banks nObly
stood by the farmers and advanced
90 per cent on the value OF their crops.
At length the agents Of the trusts
had TO have tobacco and had to take
il at the re asonable price set upon 1t
10y the farmers themselves. SO that
Of the "a 900 hOgsheadS only 30 are not
sold. The Association expects to con-
troll no less than 10000 hogsheads Of
the 1905 crop and to sell it to the trusts
themselves at profitable price.
Thus has the battle for right been
waged and won, and by such efforts
and with such wise and conservative
leaders as Gen. Ewing even greater
victories for fair dealing and profita-
ble prices will be won by the hitherto |
dOwntrOdden tobacco growers.
Then followed addresses by MI |
Chas. A. Fort, President Of the AssO-
citation Of Tennessee, Kentucky and |
Virginia; by Col. Geo. SnOwden, OF
Kentucky, Treasurer Of the Associa-
ton; by the Hon. Joel b. Fort, OF
Tennessee, and "Private" John Allen, |
who are field agents OF the Association. |
All of these addresses were good |
and called forth the enthusiastic APP |
plause Of the large audience. Espe-
cially the more elaborate address OF
the Hon. Joel b. Fort was received |
with most hearty applause as he scored
the trusts in plain and emphatic IAN
guage. lie likened the agents Of the |
trusts, the "little lOrds,n to the solita- |
~ bull-frOg on the banks-croaking |
lover production, " "over productions
or "supply and demand" "supply |
and demand, until if you drew near
-"phut," and into the pond he goes.
He likened the "hill-billy" to one
who MIXED his neighbours COW |
through the crack in the fence.
Altogether the day will be one long |
to be remembered by the farmers Of
this section not only for the enjoy
ment that it gave them but for the in
formation and encouragement they re-
ceived. The farmers now see what /
has been done by cooperation and |
frmness, and another season, we pre-
diet, will find the tobacco growers OF
Virginia as sOlidly organized and as
firmly defiant of the trusts as are
those Of Kentucky and Tennessee.
Already a goodly share Of the 1900 |
crop has been pledged TO the Assocla- |
ton and every day more is coming in.
This is warm war the tobacco |
growers are waging against the |
alleged intOlerable methods OF the to- /
bacco trusts, and every man who loves |
liberty and hates oppression, who be
lieves in ga fair dealn to all, must
sympathise with and, so far as he can,
give assistance and encouragement to |
the farmers in the great struggle they |
have only just begun.
Roll Of Honor.