Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-05
MORE IpEALIsM

The following are extracts taken
from an editorial, commenting on the
above post" article, which APP
peared in the New York Sun" under
date of August z:
If Congressman AUGUSTUS o.
STANLEY, of Kentucky, is right there
is no dark tobacco district war" in
Western Kentucky and Tennessee.
There is no "night-riding and none
of the other depredations which have
been alleged against the planters OF
this region; nothing but sensational
fictions emanating from trust quarters
for malign purposes. If this is so
then an article printed in the current
issue of the Saturday Evening Post
about the Great Tobacco War" is
imaginative writing, but it is full of
observation-disclosures details which in
cline one to think that Representative
STANLEY is not as cognizant as he
might be of all that has been going
on in his bailiwick, part of which is
included in the battle-ground. The ar
ticle does, as will be seen, call for a
considerable stretch Of the magma
ton in a certain respect, but it seems
to be sufficiently weighted with what
look like facts to suggest that even
Mr.. STANLEY would not care to char
acterize them as counterfeit present
ments.
According to this article it seems
that in September, 1904, an organiza-
ton called the Dark Tobacco District
Planters Protective Association was
formed at Guthrie, KY, for the pur-
pose of uniting tobacco growers in
movement to restrict output and ele-
vate and maintain prices; in other
words to fulfill the popular conception
OF trust.
On account of market de-
yelopments in 1902 and 1908 the tobac-
co growers of this extensive area de-
cided that they had a grievance
against the domestic and foreign to-
bacco trusts, so-called, and after much
ventilation of the alleged grievance the
planters trust referred to was formed.
The tobacco war" is not, however, a
war between trusts. 1t is a war against
those planters who refuse to join the
association or who break its rules in
respect to the size of crops or depart
from the selling prices fixed by the Of
ficers Of the association. What this |
war means in a general way is thus
described;
Because of it men sit by night with |
rifles in their hands to guard their
crops and their barns. Because of it
cities have been called to arms to re-
sist threatened attack and destruction
Of property. Because of it every night |
in nineteen counties in Kentucky and
Tennessee men sleep with bolts drawn,
windows barred and weapons within
reach. 1t has created unrest, suspic-
ion and terror In word, it has driv-
en- peace from the land"
So far as the indications go it is a
war; the war of organiza-
lion against individuals, although the
as such, does not do the
Kings which have made the war afro
cious. The favorite method of waging
war is to "scrape" the tobacco beds of
farmers who, in the opinion of the
icrapers, need discipling. This means
simply the destruction of a growing
,rop by any method of effectual worth.
1t is work that, like all the related
work of the war, is done at night, and
ike all the other work, it does not
wen follow that the victim of it was
lnything but a loyal member of the {
fordeeds of this kind done
lnder the cover of darkness may pay
III many a private grudge. Acts of
PERSONAL intimidation have been num- I
'rous, and while there has been more
han enough arson the new state Fire I
darshal of Kentucky has not been
'ble 20 aeeoRnIish nalleh .lHihiek s.lzealls.