The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-16

graced by the violence OF the night
riders" who in many cases sought
to enforce by fear of arson or the
horsewhip a contract which the
courts would not uphold. Despite
the gradual withdrawal of public
sentiment because of these tactics,
the societies managed to engineer
a; cut out in 1908. The price of TO-
bacco was profitable, and this eff
fort made, the pool ceased. The
leaders were tired Of intense effort
needed to maintain such an I'M
stable organization, the public fear
ed a renewal of the outrages of the
"nights riders. The success had
been too hard. won.
From 1909 on, the growers of
Burley tobacco sold over the auc-
ton floor. Several other attempts
were made to sell the crop co
operatively, but they were still
born. Then came the war, and to-
bacco prices doomed to unheard of
levels. Beginning in 1918, the
price rose to forty cents a pound
at the close of the season. At the
end of the 1920 market, a level of
sixty cents had been reached.
Everybody had more money than
ever before, and everybody was
jubilant and hopeful. An enormous
crop was set, just. in time to feel
the full effect Of the deaation
of agricultural prices. In 1921, the
price was less than thirteen cents
for crop that cost thirty-four
cents to produce.
Immediately died the rosy hopes
Of the tobacco growers. A price like
that meant that there wouldn't be
enough money in the country to
pay the interest on debts contract
ed during high prices. Land
values wilted overnight. Trade
stagnated. The second day of sales
the growres were more than angry
and were desperately furious
They knew that such price
meant suffering for their families
At almost every point they closed
the warehouses by force, in the
hope that this maneuver would
scare the Big Four into raising
prices. Only by the vigilance OF
some Of the leaders was recur-
renee of violence avoided.
At this juncture, a man of suffi-
cient knowledge, influence, capacity
and integrity was found who
could successfully lead an effort a,
re-organizing the industry on such
a basis that an outbreak Of vio-
lence end its causes would be i'm
possible. This man was Judge
Robert W. Bingham, publisher OF
the Louisville Courier-Journal, who
was not a tobacco grower, but who
saw the faults of the auction sys-
tenn clearly and had a mind te
put them right. He had been in
California the year before and had
seen the prosperity of the farm:
ers there as a result of co-opera-
tive marketing Of their products
He determined to introduce such q
system into Kentucky.
With few of the leaders he
made a flying trip to New York to
consult Bernard NJ Baruch, q
|schoolmate,. who directed them to
Aaron Sapiro, San Francisco at
torney, as the man for their work
Mr.. Sapiro had already begun work
with the tobacco growers Of Yir-
ginia and the Carolinas, but he was
unknown in Kentucky. Now there
is scarcely a man who does not re-
gard him as the genius that he is
and with Judge Bingham, the de-
liverer Of the tobacco growers
Mr.. Sapiro was induced to come
to Kentucky to confer with a gath
ering of leading Kentuckians aad
explain the system of selling farm
products on the California coop
erative plan. He convinced them
of its soundness as applied to to-
bacco.
Almost Immediately Judge Bing-
ham appointed an executive cam
paign committee and the educa-
ton of the people of Kentucky FOL
this new idea was begun. 1t was
then too late to affect the 1920
crop prices, but it was determined
that change would be brought
about before another crop was
ready for the market, By the un-
wearied effort Of five or six unset
fish men, by constant educaticnsl
publicity in Judge Bingham's Pa
pers, by the coordination of ail
economic forces in the state, the
movement was started under aus
picious circumstances.
At first there was much suspic-
ion. fear and uncertainty to over
come. Farmers, merchants and
bankers were afraid of another Pc
riod of riding. But one
by one the bugaboos were destroy
ed, and as interest after interest
was enlisted in the movement II
gained momentum. The first con-
tract was signed June 4. 1921. The
committee had. under the terms Of
the contract, until November il to
obtain the signatures Of three
fourths of the tobacco growers.
And there were 10000 of these. 1t
looked like an impossible task, but
it had to be done, and so it was.
On three occasions, all towns.