The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-01-10
Wise WORDS ON
The Other Side.
For Years Tobacco Trust Has
Robbed Growers.
Past As Well AS Present Shout d
Be Reviewed BY The
Newspapers.

Certain of our esteemed contem-
poraries are exciting themselves von-
siderable over the condition of affa-
irs In the Dark Tobacco District. Some
of them are even clamoring for Fed
eral interference, wholly ignoring the
basic fact that the Federal Courts
have already taken charge of the one
real criminal on either side of this
issue-the Tobacco Trust.
Certainly, the situation is bad-bad
enough. Rioting and various forms of
law-breaking are INDUCED in. Night
riding is one of the idustries. We are
no apologist for any crime that has
been committed. We are neither de-
fender, nor an advocate, of any law
less act; but 1t is well enough for the
gentlemen of the press to remember
that the Tobacco Trust itself initiated
this reign of terror, and was the first
to perpetrate the crimes now SO gen
orally and fiercely denounced. The or
ignal criminal of them all is the Toba
co Trust. If it were not illegal, infa-
nous and outrageous acts of the To-
bacco Trust in the past, there would
not now be the slightest disorder in
any tobacco district in Kentucky.
For years, the Tobacco Trust rob-
bed the tobacco growers OF the fruits
of their honest toll. 1t destroyed COM
petition, created monopoly, and forced
the farmer to sell his tobacco at prices
dictated by itself, without the slightest
reference to the condition of the mar
ket, or the great natural law Of sup
ply and demand.
In his testimony before the Govern
ment investigating committee, at a
session held in New York City, Nov.
20, Thomas B. Yuille, head Of the
leaf-buying department of the Tobacco
Trust admitted all this. At the same
time, Caleb c. Dula, another officer
and vice president of the Tobacco Trust
swore that it had practically Destroy
ed all business opposition, that is prin
cipal competitors where now out OF
business or had been absorbed AS
demonstrating that IL is speaking by
the records, and not from mere words
of mouth, we all attention to
this most recent evidence of the out
lawry Of the trust.
1t is a matter of certainty that, for
several years, he trust took the
farmers tobacco at whatever price it
choose to pay for 1t. That he was
robbed goes without saying and is be-
yond dispute. Dark tobacco sold at
from rs cents TO 1925, and Burnley to-
bacco suffered cruelty. Tobacco suf-
bacco suffered cruelty. Tobacco grow
ers were financially snuffed out. Hun
dreds of them were forced to the wall,
and were wrecked and ruined trod
fast upon each others heels through
all the tobacco districts.
As a last resort the farmers banded
themselves together to fight the trust
How we'll they succeeded is known
by all men. Dark tobacco moved up
from rs cents and 1925 to S., So and
SO. Burley heartened up amazingly
In a large measure, the trust was fore
ed to come toterms by the farmers.
The events thus briefly and imper-
fectly sketched were the fore-runners
of those now occurring. The Tobacco
Trust is attempting to break down
farmers protective associations of all
descriptions. They are fighting to
recover their lost ground and to re-
establish an era of low prcies, of star
walton and ruin to producers. 1t is
confidently predicted by their agents
tobacco will be bought and slod from
81 to "a per hundred lower than now
On the other hand the grower Is
fully alive to the seriousness of the
situation to himself. He remembers
the slough Of despond into which the
trust once cast himself an he does
not propose to travel through the som
bre valley of the shadow of financial
death again. He is we'll aware that he hat
been robbed and plundered by the To-
bacco Trust In the past and that the
trap is baited and set for him now
With him,it is a struggle for life and
to the death, for victory by the trust
now means bondage to the trust fol
all time to come, for the producer.
In addition to all this, the tobacco
farmer knows that the United States
Government has declared the Tobacco
Trust an outlaw corporation and II
indicting, and prosecuting 1t In thu
Federal Courts. He knows, further
more that President Roosevelt hal
personally denounced the Tobacc'
Trust as of all bad trusts, the mos
infamous, detestable and damnable
And yet IN the face Of this red-han
ded record, this defiant robber invade'
his home, robs his wife and children
as they sit by his fireside, confiscate'
his bank account and compells fip
to stand and deliver the hard earn