Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-31
G0gREnT THE EVLl2 Pitt
STAND BY THE ASSOCIATION
Congressman Gaines an Address to the Dark To-
bacco District Planters:

( foreign allies, who have the farmers
in foreign lands by the throat, just
as you were less than four years ago.
Your Association is a monumental
success, creditable to its founder,
its members and allies. 1t has been
the cause, the great measure, of ex-
posing to public gaze, evil doors, law
less wealth and set the, officers of
the law after them, and they are
after them still. On yesterday the
Federal Government filed suit in
Richmond, Va, attaching Ito "con-
fiscates"), IT'S cases of cigars and
cigarettes, valued at 81, 727.75 being
exported to England by the Ameri-
can Tobacco Trust, consigned to its
foreign branch, British American
Tobacco Co.. the Governments
complaint being that these Trusts
were violating the Sherman anti
Trust law. Under this law last June
the government filed another BILL
an injunction proceedings-againstI
this Trust, setting out its oppressive
and lawless conduct toward you
and others. The government is, |
honestly believe, in good faith, in
diligently pressing these suits. The
latter suit, | assure you, two years
ago, would be filed.
Soon Congress will meet and your
friends there will renew their fight
to repeal the six cents tax on tobac-
co. An extraordinary" lobby fund
has been appropriated to defeat
this legislation, while great Trust
Lawyers, supported by millions, are
opposing these law suits-filed to
aid you and others.
Pending dissolution of these
Trusts by the courts and the repeal
of this tax our Association must be
maintained, If no longer. Look
back a few years and see your con-
dition-in debt, homes mortgaged,
tobacco sold for a pittance or sold
at price fixed by the Trust. A
few patriotic men, your neighbors
and friends, without money and
without experience, but with brains
and detern nation, with big hearts
and strong arms, helped you to set
upthis organization. 1t was then
an experiment. and rich men refused
to back it. You then worked out
your own salvation. 1t is no longer
an experiment, and you are out Of
debt with money in the bank. Four
years ago your tobacco was sold at
from three to eight dollars. that
now sells from six to twenty dollars.
Four years ago you hunted for buy
ers and begged them to buy at their |
price. Now, the buyers hunt you
and beg you to sell at your price.
You did not expect this yourself.
See what a united and patriotic eff
fort can do.
Don't strike down your associa-
ton, because you can't have your
own way, or because there are in
dividual instances of wrong-doing,
by members or outsiders. Correct
these evils, but do not undermine
the Association-leave yourself, your
wives and childrenunprotected from
the Trust, that has neither heart
to feel, nor conscience to quicken
and which mercilessly. for years. op-
pressed you, until it was challenged
and checked by your Association.
Upbuild your organization and at
the same time in a manly way, fight
down wrong doing. Separate the
the two.
You have much as we all have, for
which to be thankful to the God who
gave. Let us all be thankful that
He has both given and spared to
each of US, Felix Grundy Ewing.
Yours truly,
JNO. WESLEY GAINES.