The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-02-14
CAUSE OF TO-
BACC0 TROUBLE.
And the only Sure Crue For
Trusts Eliminated all Local Buy
erS, Then Run Things
High Handed.

About all the talk in this part OF
night riders, etc. | know that a great
many readers of the Inland Farm
er do not know the cause of all this
trouble and disgrace TO the State, 50
| will try and explain it.
Kentucky produces about one-third
OF the tobacco of the us. Out of a
production of S15,OO0,0OO pounds in
1903, Kentucky produced 10000, 900
pounds. A very large per cent of this
is produced by renters and small pro-
ducers, who depend on it mainly for
money crop. About 100000 acres
planted is distributed among about %,
900 farms, SO yuo see that there arc
great many mn directly interested in
Tvs production, and when its destruc-
ton is threatened ii is like disturb
ing a hive of bees, for Kentuckians,
like bees, are always ready 10 defend
their homes regardless of results.
Up 10 a few years back, I'LL when
the tobacco trust was formed, every
thing moved along serenely. Supply
and demand governed prices ill then.
Some years there would be an over
production, and prices would go low;
then farmers would plant less, or
weather conditions would intervene,
and prices would go up. That was
all taken good humoredly, and no
disturbance was raised, though many
a time, | know that renters and hill
farmers were pressed TO the wall.
In those days the tobacco was bought
up by the local spectators and farm
ers. There was abuying ard recoiv-
ing house in every neighborhood. Com
mission houses in Louisville would
furnish any reliable man money to
buy tobacco, hence there was a great
many buyers, and competition was
strong. Tobacco would bring all that
it was absolutely worth, and some
times more.
When the trust took hold,in about
1900, this procedure was all changed.
They stopped the buying by local spec
ulators and farmers, and refusing 10
buy the tobacco on the market at
Louisville, except at ruinous prices 10
the buyers. Hundreds of farmers who
were local buyers lost everything they
had, l know many pitiable cases,where
honest spectators and farmers lost
their houses and farms by this mon
ster Trust.
After the trust got all local buy
ers out of the way, then they estab-
lished buyers at such points as suit
ed them, and paid them. Many farm
ers had to haul their tobacco thirty
miles over bad roads TO get one and
three or four cents for it. For several
years the price did not average over
three cents in this country. TO you
that do not know, will say that il
cost cents per pound TO produce tobac
co,so you see the condition TO which
these poor farmers were reduced. Can
anyone wonder that it produced an
archy, especially among a class that
did not know how else to proceed?
They are honestly convinced that they
are defending theri homes and families
OF course This is a wrong procedure.
Some of the wiser ones gottogeth-
er and formed an association of to-
bacco growers under the AS. of E.
The object was for all growers TO pool
their tobacco, and not sell 10 the Trust
but direct 10 foreign buyers and home
manufactures, unless the Trust would
come 80 their terms. This would have
worked all right if all growers had
gone in with-the Association. They
would have been easily~ masters of
the situation.
But many would not go into the or