The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1909-09-07
Colonel Cassis NJ Clay Answers Miss Alice Loyds Reply

received by others. My neighbors
have generally done as well as myself
and some a good deal better. one ten
ant in tho far end Of the county has
raised twelve crops, and nine cents
was the least price and twelve cents
the highest he received. Upon the
most reliable Information we can get
from original sources-and In our
anxiety to be accurate and do justice
We applied TO the Continental for its
figures for Bourbon county, esu'
mate that for the last five or six years
the average price for our county has
been about nine cents per pound, and
the most, far more than half. OF this
tobacco was sold in the barn and hauled
In loose order, without other expense,
TO some nearby receiving point.
Finally | can truly say that no bust
ness in this section has ever before
been as profitable To the farmer and
tenant as tobacco raising for the pc
riod OF the last six or eight years. AS
matter OF course, there are some
improvident men who save nothing,
however much tEey may make, but
assert that on land In any way suitable
for tobacco the tenant has done lar
better than he could have done at any
other business. and finally that to-
bacco land has paid the landlord after
charging up all expenses from 90 TO
SIS per acre, and in like proportion
to the tenant.
In "A speech made here on this ros-
trum eighteen months ago opposing
the cutting out of the 1908 crop !
stated that the facts when truly I'M
derstood did not Justify the pooling OF
the crop, and the only justification OF
the pooling OF the crop was such
condition of the tobacco business as
made pooling necessary in order to
get a living price: that as the Burnley
society was organized, It's .members
scattered through many counties, and
even states, with every possible dis
similarity OF condition, financial and
otherwise. that 1t was utterly impos-
sible for them % act without friction.
delay, negligence and favoritism; that
many and unexpected abuses would
surely grow up aud that cutting out The
1908 crop threatened the peace ard
prosperity of the state; that, as II was
a fact that not over half at most or
the growers were In the pool, and that
In order to make the movement oil
the mere cutting out OF the crop sue
coed that the remaining so per cent
OF growers would have TO be persuaded
and intimidated: that ii would be i'm
possible for them 20 agree upon such
a policy on account of dissimilarity oil
opinions. conditions and necessi-
ties, some being able 70 hold their
tobacco and some having to mortgage
their crop before being raised. and
other too numerous conditions to
enumerate. Such agreement being I'M
possible, It then becomes necessary. In
order TO succeed, for various kinds OF
intimidation 10 be resorted TO, mild
and. peaceful by the law-abiding. but
soA degeneratiLs into violence and
lawlessness by ~. more ignorant and
lest restrained NUMBERS of the pool.
f'stated then, eighteen months ago,
that any policy that tended directly or
indirectly, inteIt lonally or uninten-
tionally, to violSnce and lawlessness,
was to be CONDEMNED by all just
minded and patriotic persons. All our
rights of life, liberty and property are
based upon and tnade good by the en-
forcement of thd law, and could not
see how any man who Is interested in
the solid and true interests of the
country could countenance any policy
that leads even indirectly. but in this
case inevitably to violence and disor'
der Violence and disorder, when once
begun. breed numerous broods of
progeny which not only affect the to-
bacco business hut every other inter
est of society. and no man may see the
end of such feuds thus created.
hn nj nN I Gnf
the same time. eighteen months ago,
that II the cutting out OF the crop was
effected that there would be three inn
portant results: First, that II would
encourage the raising of tobacco In
other sections OF the country beyond
the influence and intimidation of the
Equity society. and then | went on TO
enumerate various parts OF the county
where II could and would, in many
cases of extra quality, In all proba-
bility. be raised, aand that we could do
our tobacco interests here in Kentucky
incalculable damage by raising up
formidable and dangerous competition
by this short-sighted policy.
Now what was the result? All that
spoke of as possible has come to
pass. and this years crop Will be hard
10 sell on account of the great In
crease of tobacco outside of our old
Burnley district.
Secondly, ! stated that the policy OF
the Burley society would drive out of
the state many of our tenants and the
men employed by them. great and
undeserved hardship upon them. BY
permitting them 10 raise tobacco, a
business in which they were gery pro-
ficient. and could earn two or three
times as much as in any other bust
ness, small quantity Of land rela-
lively could support large number
of them. while IL they we're forced to
raise corn or other crop II would re-
quire several times the number OF
acres TO allow them the same profit.
so that necessarily many would be
forced to leave. Everybody knows
that such was the result
Thirdly. stated that il would bring
on disorder and lawlessness throughout
the Burley district. Such prediction
was amply verified. Brutal whippings,
barn burning and ali sorts of outrages
and even murder were committed with
IMMUNITY. All free speech on this
question has been practically denied.
"a