The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1908-06-18

the people Is with the farmers IN mel
effort to forcs the trust to pay a res
sonable and remuneratlve price for 30
baeco. Defeat means starvation prices
and continued scarcity OF money. Vic
tory means prosperity for grower and
merchant alike. For this reason the
merchants are stralnlng every resource
to carry their tobacco growing custom
ers ON their books and the farmers are
cutting expenditures to the lowest pos
siole limit 1t is struggle In which
practically all OF kentucky has a vital
Interest Everywhere one goes he hears
word OF commendation for the Equity
the only condemnation Is for the ex.
cesses to which the night riders have
gone.
But there is an excuse for the night
riders. Their mildest action Is. OF
course. Illegal. but 1t Is understand
able. The law Is slow. In every com
munity In which there Is a great strug.
gle for betterment. with consequent de
privation and sacrifice. there are al
ways those whose eupldity prompts
them TO take advantage Of the situa-
ton and reap personal benefit. even
at the cost OF aiding the common enc
my. These individuals. though strict
" within their legal rights. are neces-
sarlly not popular with their neigh
oors, and TO an extent these neIghbors
ire excusable when. persuasion failing.
IN appeal Is made to coercion. There
s the law OF the statute books: there
5 also the law Of the community. In
raction Of the one may be punished In
he courts; defiance OF the other IL
more difficult OF correction.
So long as the night riders confined
themselves TO the raking OF tobacco
eds there was little criticism. When
aiuaole warehouses were burned there
'as general expression OF indlgna-
on and condemnation. When murder
as resorted TO the manhood and de
sncy OF Kentucky were reused TO a
eight which demanded that all night
ding must cease and that the criml-
ais who had gone TO such terrible ex-
sses must be discovered and pun.
he'd
II is not difficult to account for night
ding In its lneipiency. And from this
isis perhaps It is easy TO understand
W irresponsible, daredevil young
en-. prompted BY love Of rough adj
nture and occasionally by personal
tie. took advantage OF conditions To
mmit excuses and outrages.
the night riding which.
5 been such an unfortunate feature
the tobacco producers fight against
: trust there has been more than ons
gedy. but the one which attracted
most attention and created the
attest Indignation was the killing Of
ram Hedges BY some member Of
sked mob.
lodges was Woodworking. honest I
q for whom II has been a long strur.
TO support his numerous family. He .
} a man of'decent morals. was eount- :
a good nelghbor and was not known \
have had an enemy. Like all farm n
in his part OF the State. he was a
tccO grower, but In a small way. In Il
immediate neighborhod there had
d very little organizing among the q
ners and he was not an Equity man h
ne night he was visited by a mob OF -
1T seventy-ive men. called to the
:. accused OF planting tobacco. and
be presence Of his family was rio ~,
with shot M
he murder Of Hedges was about as
revoked and cold-blooded a crime
ould be committed II was a result
light riding Nevertheless neither
nor other outrages should be attrfb
either to the organized farmers or sne
heir officers. They condemn such 80
lnality heartily and. outside Of the
sdiate sufferers. are the creates, #,
\ ~Yes
Don't FOLD rouF Arms.