The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-09-21

turns with longing eyes To the city7 why
Is n that the lights nickerlng from the
towns beclon him from the auietude
from the peace and contentment Of home
IN the country Because there are OPP
portunities. Here IL little or none. 70
these farmers said. we win get together,
that IL what the other fellows did.
You got together. You formed Farm
ers' Guild. don't know how many you
have formed The trouble Is you never
stuck together long enough. You did not
know how very we'll You had not been
working az that business so long. but you
got together
The first thing you did was to study the
law. That IL communicable; that II TO
your credit. You went to the books OF the
statutes 81 your state. and you said. what
is there In the statutes that will allow us
10 get together. and there you found the
law. Thus saith the statutes OF the peo-
pie: You may organize yourselves into
lawful associations. get better price. n
reasonable price. for the products Of your
soil and your hands. That Is the limit
That Is all you are entitled to-
Did your adversaries take II kindly?
said no. we will break that down. We
can't break Il down by law. because they
are operating under the law. but We win
break II down contrary to the law. In de-
fauce Of the law. Squeeze II to death.
smother u. not burn IT, that makes too
big a light Somebody might see. Not
shoot Il. that causes too much noise.
They might catch us. Merely smother u.
make. 50 Il 10 dead. or corrupt u. al
ways by insidiods meanse so they went
to work and they came TO the man who
did not have the courage to say. Get
thee behind me. Satan" but who said.
Come along. Satan. We will weigh up
this tobacco" Applause and laughter.)
In this way and that and the other they
discouraged. and then they said to the
farmers unions. we win not buy from
you. Not because they did not need your
products1 But because you are organ
lied. What crime IL there In that? do
not the statutes OF my state and the con-
stitution Of my commonwealth authorize
and permit IT, Is II not true that every
other class Of people from sign painters
to magpates in Wall street have all COM
bined 70 better their conditions. and what
Is there that prevents my doing IT. They
said you must not. We viii not buy
from you We will starve you.
Reason Of Violence.
Then Il was that these reckless, law
less spirits. feeling that the law was i'm
potent as to them. forsaken by the power
OF government. having nothing else
to do. as they said II. except
to strike biindiy as their ancestors had
done IN the centuries back. strike ignor-
antIy. aye. strike criminslly. They
struck. and the law was broken. and the
press was inhamed by the outraged law
Society was shocked. They condemned
them. They said. Hang them"
They asked me what thought about II.
am going TO repeat TO you what I said.
because I have not changed my mind I
said that lawiessness should be repress-
ed by the power OF the law. There
should be no compromise with crime.
but. There IL where the trouble came
II had stopped there. would have been
a good fellow. but put In that but"
believe II is not only the privilege but the
duty Of the government TO go to the bot
tom and discover the cause underlying
this great disturbance which has aroused
a peaceful people to acts OF violence. this
cause that has made criminals Of these
Kentuckians. and whatever that cause Is,
to dig Il out by the roots and destroy Il.
Now. there was the trouble. I said too
much TO please the people who wanted 20
let things stay as they were. My point
Is. I do not want TO drive an idea through
their heads with a bayonet. want TO get
h.. In nv af.I
to prevent crime rather than to have to
punish crime after II Is committed. Not
that we will not punish the crime already
committed. but that IL Is better for So
ciety that Il be not committed, rather
than 10 have II committed and then have
II punished.
Now. for that. there were some people
who called me ''Night Rider" because.
as a Kentuckian. I wanted 20 see a con
dition OF peace restored in Kentucky. and
the men who created the wealth In Ken
lucky. the men who were the very basis.
who were the very foundation OF the
state. In supporting Il and maintaining A,
should be made prosperous and happy
That Is what I wanted TO see. and what
I want 10 see yet. There are eighty thou
sand OF these men in Kentucky engaged
In the culture OF this product. product
peculiar 10 Kentucky's soil. in which
Kentucky has practically n monopoly OF
the worlds supply. a market that In
growing day by day and extending year
by year all over the world; a product that
draws heavily also upon the muscles and
endurance OF the men who produce II.
II has come down 10 this. You tried
IL for years and years. You found that
the high cost OF living that we hear so
much about in the papers and at the
stores Is fact. Everything else has
gone up except what you have TO sell
What Is the matter? l think there is a
cause. My idea Is TO get TO the cause
and remove IL with judgments Of
the courts OF the people. by executing
the laws OF the people under the oaths
and upon the consciences Of the people
Not by violence. but here In your courts
where the people rule. | said there were
enough laws In this state and enough vir-
tue and power in those laws 10 punish
those who oppressed the people. and 10
relieve the people OF oppression.
DECLARED TO you THEN, AND
I REPEAT To you TO-DAY. THAT
THERE rs ENOUGH POWER AND
ENOUGH VIRTUE IN THE LAWS OF
TO REDRESS EVERY