The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-03-13
TRUST and bumper
CAUSE night RIDERS
Trust Says III Fill NY Pockets
with Gold While Ycu Pool
And Hold.

ding In KENTUCKY.
Answer-The tobacco Trust and
Bumper.
Farmer-Upon their shoulders rest
all responsibility of night riding and
lawlessness being done in this state.
l ask the question-Haven't we the
same class of farmers to-day in Ken
lucky that we had four years ago,
when tobacco in the dark districts wa
selling for Al, nothing and Gus
sing. | say we have the same farmers
now we had then. What brought the
change, was this in the spring and
summer of 1904 the A. S. of E. and
the Dark Tobacco Growers Associa-
ton began the work of organizing the
farmers for the purpose of applying
the law of self protection against
the ravage of the tobacco trust that
was doing business in this State
against the law, peace, dignity and
prosperity of the tobacco growers of
the Commonwealth.
Here are some Of the results and
benefits derived from the efforts of
the organized farmers:
Taking the price fixed by the trust
in 1903 the base or average price Of
SO per hundred. Starting from that
price, we fined that by organized eff
forts we raised the price to 81 per
hundred in 1904, to S. per hundred in
1905, to Sc per hundred in 1906, to So
and $40 per hundred in 1907. These al
the prices received by the bumpers, o
in other words these are the prices
paid by the trust as the organized
farmers had pooled their tobacco and
was handling anywhere from 40 to 20
per cent of the tobacco of the market
for price fixed by the Association,
be this means, we have made an ac-
tive and hungry market for the Dunn
pers tobacco. We have gone to our
unorganized former brothers with tears
in our eyes begging, pleading and re-
asoning with them to come in and
join us and be brothers and help to
win this fight for wife, children, .'home
sweet home" and native land. To
all our pleadings the Bumper has
hardened his heart and turned deaf
ear, and said to himself, I'll not be
your brother in this fight, I'll turn
nay back on you and carry ammunition
to the enemy.
The Tobacco Trust-Ill fill my own
pocket with gold at your expense,
while you yool and hold. The Dunn
per says by his acts | will aid and
assist and help the trust to break
down and tear up the A. S. of E.
and the Association, while | like
Esaw, sell my birthright for gold, at
the expense of my organized brother.
/ ask you my unorganized brother |
the name of God, in the name of
justice and right in the name of the
Christian religion, do you think you
are treating your A. S. of E. or Asso-
citation neighbor right, when you have
him up in an apple tree shaking down
the red, lucious fruit; and while he
Is up the tree, you hog like. run in
and pick up all the choice apples, and
then, jump back before he gets down,
and say, "whoopee," look what I've
got! | ask is that treating your or
ganized neighbor with common civili-
ty.
The above illustration represents
the tobacco question as it is to day
in Kentucky. / ask you my Bumper
friends how long, oh, how long do you
propose to tantalize and goad your
organized brother this way? Don't
you think a man can be driven to
desperation and night riding. Let me
beg of you, who have been dumping
and getting good prices, to let some
of the milk of human kindness flow
from your hearts this good year 1908.
When the pooling contracts are presen
ted for this year please open the cold
resesses of your heart and sign up.
The refusal on your part to do this
will be a direct intimation to the nigt
riders and If you refuse and presist
and bring destruction on yourselves,
who have you to blame but your
selves, you will be the guilty party.
Should their be any lawlessness, say,
and say now, the leaders of the or
ganization don't intend to bear the
responsibility, because they have done
all in their power to keep down law
lessness.
Trusting this article may cause som
to stop and consider and inquire wher
are we? Every one will admit now
that we have a majority of the tobac-
co growers in the organization. The
question is now who shall rule, the
majority or the minority. Trusting
that all will come into the fold of a