Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-05
EXTRACTS FROM SATURDAY
EVENING POST AND NEW YORK
Sun, Attacking Planters Protective As
ISOLATION Answered by Mr.. Stanley
in Hopkinsville Speech.

/ Down in nineteen counties in South
ern Kentucky and Northern tennessee
an association of farmers has made
omen and successful war against the
American Tobacco Company, one OF
the greatest financial combinations in
the world.
= % @as e**s% =
The organization which has made
this unique record in American agri-
cultural history is the Dark Tobacco
District Planters Protective Associa-
ton. with headquarters at Guthrie,
Kentucky.
The story of the fight made by
these farmers against the American
Tobacco Company is so crowded with
incident, so filled with economic de-
TAIL that merely its outline can be
given here. Moreover, the truth re-
garding many things that have hap
pened during this agricultural revolt
is most difficult to obtain. On many
Of the most important points involved
the assertions OF one side are fatty
contradicted by those of the other,
and each, apparently, believes it is in
the right.
What is known as the dark tobac-
co district" of Kentucky and Tonnes
see lies in the following counties, all
OF them in the western part OF the two
states: in kentucky, Christian Logan
Graves, Fulton, Ballard, simpson
Todd, Trigg, Caldwell, and Galloway;
in Tennessee, Cheatham Dickson,
Henry, Houston, Smith, Montgomery
Robertson, Stuart and Weakley. The
fgut has been most active, however,
in Christian, Caldwell, Logan, Todd
and Trigg counties in Kentucky, and
in Montgomery and Robertson coun-
ties in Tennessee.
The soil in these counties produces
a quality of tobacco that is grown no
where else in the world, and is known
everywhere as dark" tobacco. The
leaf is deep in color, heavy in texture
and full blooded." 1t is used more
extensively abroad than in this cOun-
try, and large quantities are exported
to England, France, Germany, Italy,
Austria and Africa.
The farmers who are members OF
the association claim that the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company, by harsh and
unjust manipulation of the tobacco
market, so depressed prices that to-
bacco could not be raised at a profit.
They assert that by their combination
they have nearly trebled the price of
tobacco inside Of three years, and that
the company has tacitly admitted the
justice of their figures by taking their
crop at their price. The officials of
the American Tobacco Company al
hof
conditions have played a large part
in increasing the price of tobacco, and
that the association has exerted COM
paratively small influence in secur-
ing the advance.
The strife between the farmers and
the American Tobacco Company has
been marked by a rancor and bitter
ness difficult to describe and impossi-
BILE to exaggerate 1t has been prolific
of business boycotts and social ostTa-
cisms. 1t has produced violence and
crime, turned cordial friends into bit
ter foes, divided families, broken off
prospective marriages, diverted the
channels of trade and split the church.
Born, as it was, in the neighborhood
that gave birth to the KukluX Khan, it
has in some degree awakened the
spirit of that dreaded organization,
and set the night rider to gallOping
once more along the roads of Ken
lucky and Tennessee.
Because of it, men sit by night with
rifles in their hands to guard their
crops and barns. Because of it, cities
have been called arms to resist threat
ened attack and destruction Of proper
ty. Because Of it, every night, in nine
teen counties in Kentucky and Ten
nessse, men sleep with bolts drawn,
windows barred and weapons within
reach. 1t has createL unrest, suspi-
cion and terror. In a word, it has
driven peace from the land.
An incident that occurred in Ten
nessee fairly illustrates the spirit IN
which the fight is carried on. The
pastor of the Methodist church in a
certain hamlet one night called upon
a man, not a member of the farmers
to lead" the prayer-meet-
ing. At the conclusion of the services
the members of the congregation who
were affiliated with the association in
formed the astonished pastor that he
must no longer allow that man to
lead" the meeting.
And why not?" asked the minister.
"He is not one of us-he does be-
long to the association-and We will
not follow him anywhere, not even in
prayer" was the response.
The pastor informed the non-asso- |
citation man that other members of the
flock objected to the mingling of his
prayers with theirs, and that he must |
in the future refrain from calling upon
him during the prayer-meeting.
The 'Ishmaelite" accepted the situa-
ton philosophically. "All right" he |
said. Il suppose l can pray in secret !
# like. They won't object to that |
will they?"
Against the American Tobacco Com
Dany the farmers of the dark tobacco |
district claim to have direct and spe-
,ific complaint. They allege that not
only by unfair business methods it de-
presses the price below the cost OF |
but that it has frozen out
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