The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1908-02-12
TOBACCO NEWS.
Interesting Notes Bearing on the
Tobacco SituatiOn--Of Interest
to All Tobacco Growers.
JACK CHM EXPLAINS
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.

State Senator Jack Chlnn, of
Mercer county, discussing the to-
bacco situation before the Legis-
lature at Frankfort, said:
Il arise for the purpose of ex-
planning what | believe to be the
real cause of our trouble. We are
now up against game of freeze
out between the American Tobacco
Company and the Society of
Equity. | live in Mercer, the
county where the first toll gate
raids began in this State. Gov.
Bradley, during his administration,
experienced exactly what Governor
Wilson has experienced in the set
Element of that trouble. He had
eighteen hundred or two thousand
soldiers guarding the toll gates, at
a great expense to the taxpayers
in this State, without any result.
The soldiers were ordered from
the counties, and they cut down
every toll-gate pole and burnt the
tOll-gate houses and shot up the
toll-gate keepers that made a fight.
The tock-hOlders resorted to an
other plan. They got Pinkerton
detectives and they brought them
into our county, and they caught
eight men dead to rights. They
were arrested, came to town,
waived an examining trial, and
gave bond. The grand jury set at
the first term of Circuit Court.
There was never a more rigid in
struction delivered to grand
jury than was delivered by Judge
Sauhy. The witnesses were sent
to the grand jury room, the grand
jury was instructed that they must
bring in an Indictment.
THE first witness that was put
on the stand was maa that was a
toll-gate keeper. He was asked
what his business was. He said
he used to keep a toll-gate, but |
don't now. Why not 2 was asked
the witness. There were about
two hundred men came to my cate.
asked for an AK and cut down my
pole and handed it back and told
me to collect no more toll. They
said: DO you see that light across
yonder That is Cal Atkinson's
toll-gate burning. He came out
and made fight; he is over there.
shot. You had better 90 over and
look after him. | found him
wounded and cared for him. Did
you recognize any of these men Z
| knew several of them. Go on
and state to the grand jury who
you knew. He says to the fore
man. Your nephew, Bill Gaines,
was with them. Any one else YOU
know Yes Ike, your brother,
Pete, was along with them, and.
Bill, you needn't be laughing, you
were along with them, and | can
tell you several more of you men
that were along with them, if you
desire it.
They told him to go out. If
we need you any more we will
send for you. That ended the
case, and the question is, What
are you going to do about it l
II live in a county where so
per cent of the tobacco is pooled. |
| live in law-abiding county, be-
cause there has been several hun
bred wagon loads of tobacco that
was not pooled passed through my
county from adjoining counties
hauled to Lexington, sold to the
branch of the American Tobacco
Company that has been cancer
eating into the vitals of the far
mers in my section. My tobacco
men could hear those wagons roll
ing by their houses. He would
say to his wife, "Do you hear
that wagon ? That is them fellers
feeding the American Tobacco