The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-06
FARMERS FIGHT
FOR RIGHTS IN
OLD KENTUCKY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE u

CONTINUED FROM PAGE -
often find it necessary to mortgage a crop
before ii is cut and cured. The societies
have during the past five months made
arrangements to advance two-thirds of
the value of the crops to growers who
need the money, but there is doubt as
to whether they would be able to finance
all the Independents, even if the latter
could accept the arrangement and escape
ruin. But there is, as stated, numerous
class of Independents who must market
their crop Immediately after cutting and
curing. These men, therefore, must ac-
cept society loan on their crop, and in
case the trust wins, drop so far be-
hind that in three years they will be
ruined or else they must sell to the
trust and run strong risk of leaving
their barns burned or their next years
crop ruined, to say nothing of the chance
of suffering personal violence,
Contentious of Farmers.
over against these considerations and
the fundamental right of a man to dis
pose of his lawful property to whom he
chooses, the farmers who support the
pooling movement set up three conten-
tons:
81. That the market for their support
is controlled by trust and that the
only recourse left to the farmers is to
form what is in effect a trust of their
own and fight their opponents with their
own weapons.
"2. The fight is a fight for existence,
and if the societies are beaten the grow
ers of two states must be for all time at
the mercy of a combination which will
fix the price. 1t is argued that the finan-
cial crushing of the poolers who con-
stitute the majority would be less mis-
fortune than the crushing of the NIL
nority.
80. The leading members of the pooling
societies strongly disclam any connec-
ton between their organization and the
night riders any responsibility for
their actions. Pooling leaders declare the
night riders are undoubtedly the men of
the districts in which they live, spurred
on by demagogues or men who have per-
sonal spite to wreak on their neighbors."
"Day Riders"
OF late there has sprung up a day
riders" movement with a plan for peace
full persuasion" of growers to pool their
crops.
The day riders go by day in bodies to
the homes of the neighbors and urge
them to join the pooling movement. No
threats are used, but nevertheless many
of the men visited confess that this policy
intimidates them.
The pooling society now have on hand
part of the 1906 crop and all of their
1907 crop. Although they claim to control
over 90 per cent of the crop, the tobacco
company, experimenting its purchases
from the large independent interests by
pushing its buying in other fields, has
apparently not felt any strong pinch as
yet.
This fart combined with the conSid-
Grafton that the company has the longest
purse, has moved the societies to start a
movement now in full swing pledging the
members not to plant any crops at all
during 1908. BY this course they hope
to force a higher price for the 1907 crop
and also to shorten the supply so that
the company must come to their terms
Unlawful Methods Condemned.
Fargo, N. D., January 5.-James Holen
of this city a member of the national
executive comniittee of the American So