The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1910-06-07
Why is Cantrill Against the Bur
ley Tobacco Society?
Convention News-Herald. J

Convention News Herald.
We ask this question in all sincerity,
desiring above all things to know the,
truth. The N avs Herald has always
been a supporter of Mr. Cantrill, and
no one fought harder for mis- nomina-
ton two years ago than Mr.. Bourne,
its editor. He took this course be-.
cause he believed Mr. Cantrill:c0u,d Go
more for the Burley Tobacco Society
than any other man in the district.
At that time, even as now. the people
needed a man in Congress whose
friendliness and sympathy were on the
side of the Burley Society and the
pool it was endeavnring TO form. He
could be splendid representative Of
our interests in the halls of Congress,
and everyone knew that he was sue
cessful campaigner for the society in
securing pooled tobacco. The Seventh
Congressional district, of which Mr..
Cantrill is the representative, is per-
maps the largest tobacco producing
section in the State, and consequently
the electorate is composed largely of
tobacco growers. A large majority of
these growers are members CT the
Burley Tobacco Soiety and have their
1909 crop in the pool. 1t was by their
vote that Mr.. Cantrill was sent to
Congress in 1908. Just now we cannot
help referring to the unfortunate
schism in the ranks of the growers
during the pooling season of 1909. Mr..
Cantrill was then, as he is now, presi-
dent of the A. S. of E., and it was he
and the members of his executive
board most of whom did not reside in
the Burnley district, who then led the
fight against the Barley Tobacco Soci-
ETY. in an attempt to keep the growers
from pooling their crops. Every
tobacco grower in this section of the
State remembers the confusion which
resulted from that controversy.
In his card Ito the Democrats of
the Seventh District" Mr.. Cantrill
says: IF my advice last year had
been taken by the leaders eighty five
per cent of the crop would have been
pooled and sold in winter order at big
prices.
We remember distinctly the things
that Mr. Cantrill advised. Among
them was a demand for $25. 000. He
finally allowed himself to be persuad-
ed to accept $4,000. He demanded
that lot of things be put in the con-
tracts and that the bylaws of the
society be amended.
Some of these things were done to
please him and lot of other officers
of another society who never saw a
plant of Burley tobacco. But tht y
were done to have harmony in our
ranks. No man of common sense ever
dreamed of admitting that the Ameri-
can Society of Equity was entitled to
any part of the proceeds of the sale OF
/ our BuIley tobacco. But as tobacco
grower and man of affairs, Mr..
| Cantrpll was entitled to have bis own
opinion about the kind and character
of pooling contract which should be
submitted 20 the growers, and thus fan
no one ever gainsaid him.
| But there ought to be some limit IL
mans authority to intefere with the
workings of the Burley Society. Mr..
Cantriil is not member of any of It's
boards. The people act through their
representatives on these boards just as
they act through this representative in
Congress. These boards are elected
every year and each year they do what
majority of the people instruct them
to do. If the people are not satisfied
with the management of the Society s
affairs they can change every officer
every year and give particular and
specific directions.
In 1909 large majority of the peo-
Piles representatives voted against
putting the seventy-five cent clause in
the contracts. Is Mr.. Cantrill willing
10 go with the majority? In the 1910
contracts this same cause was omitted
| because it was the judgment of almost
! the entire board, it was the judgment
of our attorneys and friends every
where, that this was a dangerous
clause to put in the contracts. No
doubt Mr.. Cantrill is sincere in his be.
lief that it ought to be there, but
when the representatives and officials
| of the society almost unanimously vote
TO exclude it, is Mr.. Canrtill going to
be for or against the officials?
He says Mr.. LeBus denies the people
the kind of contract they want. .'He
has deceived them as to facts and fig
ures about the tobacco pool.
Tut, tut, Mr.. Cantrill. What kind
of talk is this about Caesar denying
the people their rights, and Nero de-
ceiving and depressing them
Mr.. LeBus is one man, with one
voice, ard only one vote. Wherein did
ne, more than any other man on the
board, deny the people anything or
deceive them about any thing? Things
are always done by majorities on the
board and Mr.. LeBus has to abide by
majority rule.
AS friend of the pool, and an adj
mirer of Mr.. Cantrill, we greatly de-
plore the present state of atiais.
Though Mr.. Cantrill may not alway S
have had his way about the pool. and
thoughshis wisdom may be superior to
the wilson of those in charge of the
society, as man amcng men, he must
admit that great things have been &C