The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-05-30
HISTORY OF
STOGIE MAKING
Compiled by the National President
w. H, Riley Of Wheeling
West Virginia.

ted SO much to the welfare of the
Ohio Valley, we find it originated
from crude attempts to fashion a
substitute fora cigar which was a
luxury little beyond the reach of
the average working mans stinted
income. The success attained sug
gested a. new channel of trade.
The acquisition of skill rapidly de-
vclOped a marketable product de-
signed expressly for the working
class, but consumed and appreci-
ated by all classes. Hence the
bitter opposition of importers and
dealers in foreign cigars and the
clannish attitude assumed by the
home producers as represented by
the International Cigar Makers
tive Of the best interests Of the
masses being a controlling factor.
notwithstanding the combination
Of capital and misguided labor,
this increase of stogic output and
extension Of trade has been
phenomenal. The reason for this
IS the education Of the consumer to
Il clear and comprehensive knowl-
edge of the difference between the
two products, cigars and stogies.
The main dependence of the former
is appearance, the latter purity
and merit. The stogic is strictly
home product of best quality Of
tobacco made by skilled workmen,
in factories open to public inspec-
ton, sateguardcd by the enforce
mcnt Of good sanitation laws, guar
antccing' the consumer purity,
cleanliness and full equivalent for
prices paid. In no way depend
ent upon fancy boxes, labels,
pastcs, drugs, flavors, perfumes or
other deceptive features such as
the pictures and names of distin:
guishcd men and women who, if
living, would protest against this
ghoulish practice of misrcpresent-
ing the dead as well rs deceiving
the living.
The advantages derived from the
stogic industry are manifold. For
instance, as means Of raising
revenue in emergency cases. MOI
branch of trade can equal the
stogie product in furnishing rev.
enucs. When our Civil War made
it necessary to impose an internal
tax cigars bore the tax burden of
ten dollars per thousand. This
was approved by the friends of the
cigar industry, for it appeared to
be Il death blow to the stogie, as
the tax was Il specific tax applying
to the cheap as well as high priced
goods. The StOgie survived the
tax, which nccessitateu an adj
vance in prices three times original
market rates. This established the
imperishable and popular char.
actcr of the stogie. When the
Spanish War made it necessary to
raise money, the Ways and Means
Committee had under consider.
alton an advalorcm tax on cigars.
The cigar combine opposed this
and suggested a raise from three to
six dollars per thousand. but
through the influence of the West
Virginia representative the tax
remained unchanged. Today the
hundred dollar cigar pays the same
tax that the stogie does that sells
for less than One-tenth of that
pllce. The StOSle maker who rolls
one thousand stogics per day pro.
duceS three dollars tax on his
labor in benefit to the government,
at least three to one as compared to
the cigar maker.
In 1862 we, the stogie makers of
Wheeling, effected Il local labor
organization. thereby establishing
a precedent, the wisdom of which
has been evidenced by the better
conditions, higher wages more
stable business standing than ex-
listed i'll any other State in the
Union States. West Virginia
operates LII factories. producing
last year ia, SG4.376 stogies.
Only one arrest made in the State
tor violation of Internal Revenue
laws, while Gcorgia's record shows
tSS. In 1879, wishing to work
IN harmony with kindred asSoci-
atlonS, we applied to the Inter
national Cigar makers for a charter.
1hlS was granted. We were
Inflated about one year. strictly
conforming to their laws. receiving
no benefits whatever. no label, no
recognition. no Representations. no
i n