New-York tribune., 1908-01-06
TOBACCO WAR ACUTE.
CRISIS ON IN KENTUCKY.
Bloody Raids by Might Rider"
Sequel to Bitter Strife.

Louisville jan o.-lhe ralo on husseiiFhe'
XIV. early on Friday morning by night riders.
,,t,;ch resulted in the destruction of nearly
s1oeeeo worth of property and the wounding Of
three persons. the refusal yesterday of the to-
haeco growers to accept the proposition of the
American Tobacco Company for the purchase or
tobacco and the announced intention OF the
srowers to proceed against the American To-
hacco Company in the courts, following Gov
erncr Wilson's statement that the lawless ele-
,ner.t will be severely dealt with, have brought
20 an acute stage condition which has existed
in Kentucky and Tennessee for two years. Con-
<erences during the last two days at Frankfort
between representative OF the American To-
baooo Company and the tobacco growers have
resulted only in transferring the matter TO the
heads OF the company in New York for con-
si6eration
The situation is the result of the fight OF the
growers of tobacco against the American To-
hecco Company and other purchasers. 1t is best
explained by the following sequence of events,
recounted in chronological order:
First-The apparent passing of the leaf to-
bacco market in Kentucky and Tennessee into
the control of the American Tobacco Company,
with the consequent elimination Of nearly all
the middlemen or independent tobacco buyers
and rehandlers.
Second-The awakening of the farmers to the
situation and the formation by them of the
American Society Of Equity and two subsidiary
organizations, the Burley Qight colored leaf)
Tobacco Association and the Dark Tobacco AS
sociation, with the purpose Of producing ana
holding their crops until they could obtain what
they held would be fair price from the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company and affiliated concerns.
Third-The failure of the attempt by the
farmers societies TO win over suihcient ma
iority OF the growers OF tobacco to their pool
ing plan so as TO enable them 10 compe! the
company TO pay the price demanded
Fourth-OstractsIn and petty persecution d.
rected against independents" the farmers who
wore unwilling or unable TO pool and hold their
crops Of tobacco and who sold to the so-cailed
trust.
17ifth-Whippng of tobacco buyers and farm
ers who sold their crops; destruction OF beds OF
Young tobacco plants; burning Of tobacco barns
containing the harvested crops Of independents;
shooting into homes and the wounding of inno-
cent persons among them being women; the
warning 10 refractory Independents to leave the
country.
Sixth-The elimination OF the mob spirit IN
hold attacks on Princeton, Hopkinsvine anu
rrseaII,-iTe towns of from 1000 to 10000 in
l,shitants which raids resulted in the dyna-
-71,tine and burning of tobacco warehouses con-
,rolled by the American Tobacco Company, the
killing of several Of the raiders, the Wouhdlhs
Of number Of citizens and the destruction OF
1,ropertv owned by innocent neutrals because
the raiders refused to allow the fire departments
10 work.
GROWERS SUFFER CHEF LOSSES
A+o the so-calIed Tobacco Trust, it has suf-
..ra5 less inconvenience than the men who have
eold their leaf tobacco to 1t, and less monetary
1ass than the men who have pooled their crops
Officers of the American Tobacco Company
during the last few days have declared unoer
oath AT a New York hearing that the company
and its allied and subsidiary concerns 90 not
control the tobacco trade OF AHeTlca- "heh
the company put buyers into the Kentucky ana
Tennessee fields two years ago 10 deal directly
,k-irh The producers. after it had made arrange
roents dispensing with the system Of buying
from rehandlers and independent mddlemen, it
also denied that it controlled the raw leaf mar
kets Of Kentucky and Tennessee. The anti
trust growers vehemently assert that Ii does
control the market in the two states AS TO the
assertion that the so-called trust forces the
growers TO accept an unfair price, neither Sloe
has produced any figures as TO cost OF proouc-
-fon and farm values in the tobacco regions
which would bear out the statements pro or con-
The so-called trust has suffered the loss of a
number Of warehouses worth 100000. Four
Teen Of its warehouses have been closed This
loss however undoubtedly falls below the ag-
Sregate damage sustained by the men who have
refused TO join the farmers associations or pool
their crops Some Of them were too independent
10 be coerced, while most are financially unable
to hold their crops if they desired
on this latter class Of independents the
pooling movement has had most disastrous
fleet large number of them are renting
farms and are compelled TO market each crop
promptly IN order 20 provide sustenance until