Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-12-30
KENTUCKY LAW
BREAKERS AEITEU
SPECIAL CRANE JURY TO exam
INE CONTENTS OF MON
sTER DRAGNET.
SECRET INQUIRY HAS BEEN MADE
-gY COVER NMENT, WITH AGENTS
REPORTING TO JUSTICE.


Frankfort, KY. Dec. 27.-The end Of
the tobacco troubles in Kentucky is
n sight. Within a few days the
heavy hand Of Uncle sam will fall
upon those who have caused these
disturbances in the blue grass state,
For three months agents of the gov
eminent have been at work in the
tobacco districts Of Kentucky. Their
movements have been conducted with
the utmost secrecy. In fact, very
sew Of Uncle Sans officials elsewhere
and in Kentucky have been given
aay intimation whatever as to the
governments inquiry and intentions.
Several months ago the unfortunate
conditions in Kentucky, which have
brought such unpleasant nOtoriety
upon the state, were formally brought
60 the attention OF the federal Off
sails here.
- was shown to them that the re-
suits Of the various events were such
that they came within the purTiew of
the United States statutes, and that
tHC fed eraI government had ample
grg.nds and justification for drastic
3n@fEreI &c.
Tine law upon which Uncle Sam
ggasps the situation is that prohibit
iHg any act in restraint Of trade.
rs the tobacco raised in Kentucky is
sUld and shipped TO other states and
countries, the federal government is
empowered to prevent amy iI1terfer-
snce with this traffic The destruc-
fiOD Of tobacco crops AND ware
q Juscs. considered as to the motive
behind these overt acts, mas been
deemed by the legal advisers, of the
government as warrantfng It's inter
ference and the visiting of its wrath.
Furthermore, the organized action
-fhat has inspired the disturban ces has
by the same legal authority been de-
Cided to be in violation of tne anti
trust law. In other words, the fight
that was inauguTated against the so
called Tobacco Trust has developed
into an organization that is more
evil trust.
Agents at Work.
This legal inquiry as to tine rights
Of the federal government to inter
,fere in the internal affairs of Ken
lucky was laid before and received
the Endorsement of the highest au-
thority. The department of justice
was instructed to proceed with the
utmost secrecy and celebrity in
prosecution that would result in the
complete eradication of the trouble.
This department at once called into
activity it's bureau OF investigation,
me detective branch of the depart
ment of justice, similar TO the secret
service, but entirely separate from it.
For many weeks these unknown in
yestigatOrs have been in the tobacco
district. They have secretly probed
various incidents. They 5have Sc
cured confidential information from
the victims and have sent aemissaries
even into the inner councils of the
offenders. Passwords and signs have
been secured, and fun reports have
been made of the deliberations OF
these assemblies.
The names of those attending have
been listed. and even conversations
over the telephone between ,consp1ra
tors have been carefully transcribed.
Orders from officials to suboFdinates
have been intercepted and copied. A
dose surveillance has been kept upon
every one in any way involved in the
tobacco trouble and full reports made
uf movements and instructions.
Important evidence, it is said, has
thus been secured connecting proml-
nent men with events that followed
their communications to subordinates.
Government Has Letters.
The first move of the government
was. to secure the correspondence and
negotiations between the tobacco trust
and the representatives of the pro-
dueers. The chapter, which closes
with the truce or compact between
BurIey society over the production
the American tobacco company and
the Burley Tobacco society, is com
plete. The control exercised by the
Burley society over the production
and price of tobacco wi llfigure in de
velopments as one of the grounds Tor
federal action under the restraint of
trade provision of law. Equally as
serious is the later disclosure that the
compact between the American To
bacCo company and the Burnley To-
baccO society was a combine of two
trusts, in violation of the anti
trust law. Many of the outrages
were committed on producers who
had dealings with the so-called indie
pendent bslNeEs.
All the reports from the scores oil
secret Investigators in the tobacco
territory have been placed in the
hands OF the government officials con-
Quoting the campaign for the elimi-
nation of the tobacco trouble. 1t can
be said that the name of every man
that has been mentioned in connec-
ton with the tobacco trouble is en-
tered in these papers, with full re-
mort as to his responsibility for any
thing that has happened. Besides
these there is an imposing array of
names OF persons who can give infor-
nation regarding the outrages and
how they were inspired.
Blows About To Fall.
The departments secret agents
have about completed their work,
though not all of them have been
withdrawn from the field. Whatever
the revelations that will follow. the