The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-06

rs a Ian ROGERS. staff writer Of
oAI the Cincinnati Enquirer, In
1HNI a dispatch from Greenville.
N Ohio, explains the fight that
Hnn1l Is being waged between the
I&SI tobacco growers and tobacco
ISSI buyers in Darke county. a
fight that also. 1t Is reported,
is being waged in Miami, Shelby. Mont.
gomery and Preble counties. His dis
patch follows:
GREENvILLE, Feb. 6-Notwith.
standing the armistice OF November
II, war Is on between the tobacco
growers and tobacco buyers In Darke
county. Neither is there promise or
suggestion OF an approaching peace
conference nor a league OF nations"
for the fixing Of stable price for
Spanish leaf tobacco, seed leaf to-
bacco or the strong and succulent
Dutch.
Future historians probably will re-
fer to this conflict Of the spring OF
1919 as 1.-THE Two Bits War" Darke
county growers last year realized as
high as 80 cents pound. and now
they refuse to consider any price
under a quarter. Time was, and not
so long ago, that half this price was
greeted with smiles and immediate
sales.
But now. this country having been
made safe for democracy, the farmers
who have stayed at home and bought
liberty bonds and war stamps. insist
that Darke County must be made safe
for tobacco growers, and are going to
fight It out on those grounds III 1t
takes all summer" as one notable
military authority once remarked.
Buyers Enter Complaints.
What say the buyers who purchase
the tobacco? They are credited with
admitting that they were caught IN
a jam a year ago. and also that they
intend to establish precedent along
the lines OF "never-again" policy.
And here Is the sensational feature
rega riding this 1919 conflict--the mon
ey lenders are back of the tobacco
growers, telling them to forget the
money they owe them (albeit they are
amply protected by mortgages on the
crops In every instance OF monetary
advancemenD and urging them to
stand form for two bits or nothing,
and the honor Of Darke county.
Talk with any Of the tobacco grow
ars or money lenders and they will ex-
plain this present struggle in this way.
It seems that year ago Darke coun-
~ had goodly nicotine crop and ear
y in the season Independent buyers
and purchasers for some Of the small.
or manufacturing concerns bought
freely of Darke county offerings and
prices were advanced to 80 cents.
Later, along came the big buyers,
who, according to the growers, are at
,ustomed to fixing their own prices.
they found the most Independent
punch Of FARMERS in the history of that
section. Their early offerings were
,corned, and finally they were COM
PEELED to buy at the farmers price.
Zine work." commented the grow
,rs Of Darke, as they deposited more
han $5,0O0,000 to the credit Of their
obacco funds in the county banks.
Wait" suggested the buyers, scowl-
ng ominously.
Big Buyers Decide on Plan.
Well, according to the stories told
" the descendants of Mad Anthony"
Wayne, of Fort Grenville, the big buy
srs decided that the best way to fix
he farmers of Darke was to put
ife-sized crimp in the ambitious activ.
ties OF the early Independent buyers.
1t Is explained by these same farm
,rs that the big buyers threw their
obacco on the market at prices which
eft the Independent buyer with the
;ho!ce Of selling his purchases at a
oss or holding them
According to report, many OF the
Independent buyers preferred to hold
nd are still holding the tobacco which
hey purchased year ago. Naturally,
his being the case, these early buyers
a 1918 have not been SO active in this
resent season Of 1919.
AS a result the Darke County mar
let has been dull to the point of being
tagnant. or course, now and again
buyer would casually pass farm
louse. and, stopping merely to water
his "fiiver," would incidentally offer
he grower 10 cents or perhaps 20
cents for his crop.
The farmer, being a loyal member
# the Darke County Tobacco Protec-
i've League, or whatever the name OF
his close corporation may happen to
oe, would call up his dogs, pass editor
al comment on all tobacco buyers and
tell him where to so.
Calls Up His Neighbors.
Then he would call up the party
who had loaned him the money neces-
larry for harvesting the crop, all MS
aeighbors and the nearest newspaper
.fice. With this syndicate for the I'M
mediate dissemination Of information
working night and day, it is said that
L soon became impossible for any
stranger in Darke county to stop and
ask a question without first showing
credentials to prove that he was not
tobacco buyer. never had been and
never would be without first subscrib-
ing to the 25-cent limit.
II is reported, too, that circulars
,varo copt fhrOuph tho mails IN tho