The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1909-09-07

winch PAID promptly ana one-lOuTtn
to the Independents. Now. instead OF
calling for twenty-four at least OF our
tobacco they asked for %, leaviE z
back ten, instead of Q hogsheads, AZ
they should. Then, I understand, there
were about 400 hogsheads allotted to
The Independents, who failed to take
IT, On this basis not over three hogs.
heads of ours should have been left on
hand unsold, instead OF six. wonder
and | want him TO answer Il, If Presi-
dent LeBus has between one-ffth and
one-slxtn Of all his tobacco in the 1901
crop still unsold and unpaid for We
hope he will answer. | have in the
last eight years always delivered my
tobacco. and Immediately received
payment.
This pooled tobacco was sold last
October or November and yet not
paid for. II should individually have
sold my tobacco last tall and yet have
not received payment for 1t think my
friends should apply to the court to
have me declared incapable of attend.
ing to my business and to have a
trustee appointed TO take charge of It,.
Notice one more thing about the cal
culation; That my tenants wno did
not go into the 1907 pool got more Tor
their tobacco than those that did. Now,
we have shown that financially the
pool was no such success as claimed
Tor il, let US see what are the other
results Of the society's policy. In the
first place we have lost all the profit
Of the 1908 crop, and the labor that
would Lave produced II to great ex.
tent thrown out of employment, and
in many instances forced TO leave the
state. Secondly, we have driven our
largest and best buyers out Of the
state. They had established ware
houses at our county seats, so we could
sell them our tobacco at home with
out the uncertainty and expense OF
shipping TO far-off markets. They have
sold out their property and left the
state, SO far as | know. ! was talk
ing the other day with one of our
best farmers, and asked him if ne had
sold his grass seed by the territory I'M
gathered. He replied that as he had a
son old enough to learn business that
he could not afford to do so for fear
that his son might do the same way.
He was wise. Exercise develops fac
ulty. The only way to keep up the
character CT our people in judgment,
self-reliance and manhood is to give
them the opportunity to exercise these
qualities. BY turning over our bust
ness to a committe of managers, or
maybe to one boss, as this new pledge
indicates, We tend TO make babies, and
weaklings of our people. There is nc
more certain and surer entering wedge
TO socialism or communism. Another
evil result of this Equity movement
has been a substantial denial of free
speech. Any policy must be funda'
mentally unsound that demands as one
of its necessities the suppression OF
free speech. Our colleges, schools and
our various means of cultivating the
nina are all intended to teach us TO
think for ourselves. In the conflict OF
reasonable debate and discussion error
is gradually eliminated, and truth evo-
luted and strengthened. Any cause
that will not submit to this test there.
by confesses its weakness and I'M
soundness. Again, the policy OF the
Burnley trust or society has very much
increased the production OF tobacco
outside of our Burley district. Reports
from Missouri. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
West Virginia, Tennessee, and also the
outlying counties of Kentucky, all
speak of much increased production
The tenants and workers that you
drove out last year are valuable assist
ants in this development. The extrav'
agant figures in regard to prices Of the
Equity orators have no doubt very
much aided this movement. TIE hen
that laid the golden eggs has been bad
ly crippled. II not killed. Again
whether intended or not, they have
produced a crop OF violence and law
lessness which has brought shame and
on every patriotic Ken
tuckian, as well as financial disaster,
and which croO, fear, may be peren'
NAL unless we arouse ourselves to a
full realization of the situation and de-
termine TO take the necessary meas
ures to extirpate IT, The only reason
why Bourbon county and a few other
have escaped the most of this
lawlessness has been the forbearance
Of the Independent tobacco growers.
and Their refusal TO exercise their le-
gal rights in the control of their prop
erty and business. The Equity men
were their friends and neighbors. and
for once they were willing to help them
out OF the hole into which their policy
had placed them. The Equity has
even prostituted or attempted to pros
titute the legislation of the state by
special acts to carry out their purposes
Of domination and despotism. BY one
bill they made n breach OF contract a
In order TO control with
a rod OF iron, their own refractory
members. BY the McCord bill-one of
the worst measures ever presented 10
a Kentucky egislature-they provided
that no person or corporation could
buy tobacco in Kentucky unless he was
licensed to do so by certain official
or officers who, as a matter of course,
were to be elected In the interests OF
the Equity or Il not elected to be
SO Influenced. Every instinct of
craftsmanship and enlightenment
was against this bill. What we
need Is more buyers. not fewer.
II we had TO do either II would
be much better 20 give a bounty to
buyers instead Of putting an embargo
upon them. This bill, founded In folly
and bigotry was supported by the
Equity society and was personally
-.