The Washington herald., 1908-01-16
KENTUCKY might RIDERS"
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN.

tender young plants. uprooting and crush
ing them. IL wasn't long until might
riders began TO scrape the beds Of as
ISOLATION members also. One man at
Adams Station, Tenn. confessed that he
scraped his own beds. Two persons con-
Victed In the courts Of scraping plant
beds said that they did Il at the instance
OF persons supposed to be agents Of the
trust
On Thanksgiving night, 1906, a band Of
masked and armed men rode into Prince
ton, KY, and set FIRE 10 a tobacco ware
house and factory. One night early last
month band Of about 800 masked men
rode into the thriving little city OF Hop
kinsvile They captured the police and
fire departments. and made prisoners Of
the officers Of the law They suspend
ed taisg-aphie and telephone commuDi-
cation by threatening the operators with
guns. They shot up several houses rid
died the Office OF the HopkinsvjlIe Ken
/ tuckian Whh bullets, took a trust tobacco
buyer from his home and whIpped him
and set fire to three tobacco warehouses
which were destroyed. entalling loss OF
$4,000. This raid aroused Gov. Beck
ham TO action. and he sent State troons
TO HODkinEviIle
The great body OF citizens condemned
the outrage, but terror closed many a
mouth. Law and order leagues were or
sanized- but their membership was kept
secret cut Of fear. Gov Wilson. newly
elected, took his seat. and at once called
conference OF the warning factions
ne results were not satisfactory to
either side. Then the town of Rusself
Viiie was raided ard much property de-
stroyed. The Italian government lost
property worth Sl5C00 in the HopkInsviIls
raid. Italy made a formal complaint 70
the State Department. and Secretary
Root informed Gov. Wilson that the
property Of foreign governments must be
protected Gov Wilson is determined
TO restore order If possible and is using
the military power of the State to that
END The insurance companies have can
/ celeu policies, and a majority OF the to-
bacco barns are now without fire insur-
ance.
To the east Of the black patch" IN
Kentucky is the "Burley" section There
are thirty-six counties which grow a
tobacco called white Burley. Efforts
were made 10 organize a Burley associa-
ton as far back as 1902. bat they failed
Tor want Of financial backing. Then came
! the American Society OF Equity. q farm
/ ers' organization, with national hesdQuar-
ters az indianapolis IL organized tobacco
/ branches in the Burley district and form
/ cd a planters pool. This organization
/ recently decided that il would hold the
1896 and 1851 crops for better prices and
| terms, and would not raise an ounce Of
/ tobacco in the year 1905. This agreement
was adopted in thrty-fve Of the thirty
SIX counties, the members declaring that
/ the trust shall be deprived OF its argu-
ment Of OveTpTOdUCtiOn in support OF
/ low prices
The night riders appeared in the Bur
ley district just few days ago and de-
/ stroyed property In two or three small
/ towns One man sold his crop 20 the
trust. The peaceful army" as the mill
tant branch of the American Society Of
! Equity is known, called upon that man
| persuaded him ne was doing wrong. help
/ ed him 70 unload the tobacco which he
had on wagons ready 10 haul to market,
and rehung it in the barn such are the
methods OF the peaceful army"
| The hurley district society now has on
hand 6oG0o00O pounds Of tobacco worth
/ over 50 0a0.00o The dark tobacco planters
have about S5,009.0O9 worth in stock. Tn
til the recent financial trouble the grow
ers could borrow money on their tobacco
and tide over immediate needs. Then
many persons, driven by necessity. gave
Up the fight and sold tobacco which was
/ pledged 10 the association. That meant
more hill bilys, and more hill billys"
meant more peaceful armies" and mora
night riders"
However mistaken the might riders
may be. they firmly believe they are be-
/ ing oppressed by a great aggregation Of
/ capital that this trust is above the law
/ because il has so much money. and that
! the torch is their only hope OF relief
/ Faulty though this logic may be. If il
should spread abroad over a fourth or a
half Of the whole country the effect would
| be terrible In this way the night rid
ers' are a menace. The demand for en-
/ forcement Of the law against malefactors
/ of wealth as well as against poverty
/ stricken petty thieves is general. To
( those persons charged with enforcing tho
/ laws the might rider is a warning
/ TO-mOrrow-Birthda Of BENJAMIN
/ Franklin