Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-06-08
THE LAST CALL.

This is the last call to the far.
mers of this county to join the
Tobacco Growers Association.
The time for closing the men,
bership drive has been extended
to Saturday, June 10Th. We
sincerely hope that every farmer
will realize and appreciate the
duty he owes to himself, his fam
lily and his county in this great
effort to cooperate and back up
the purpose of the Association
to obtain control of at least So
per cent Of the tobacco grown in
Southern Maryland.
The purpose of the organiza.
ton in trying to secure control
of this amount of tobacco as has
been outlined in our columns
many times before is to enable
the Association to fix the price
of tobacco, thereby insuring a
remunerative price for the same,
which the farmers had not re-
ceived prior TO the war when
prices of everything was boosted,
only to fall when the war was
oyer.
When the United States en-
tered the world war and the call
was sounded, all true, red blood
ed and patriotic Americans men
and responded and per-
formed his or her duty. For
each and every one of us to do
our part was a patriotic duty.
Few, if any Americans could be
found who failed TO respond to
the call of duty then, in one way
or the other. We performed our
duty with a patriotic impulse.
The man or woman who refused
or ignored the call was termeda
Stacker and was looked upon
with scorn and contempt.
This is time of peace and a
call has been sounded to every
farmer in this county and the
other counties of Maryland to
perform their greatest duty at
this time, that to his fireside.
We all owe a duty to our fire.
sides that cannot be lightly cast
aside or ignominiously ignored.
We demand better school facili-
ties, better roads, better living
conditions, betterment in many
ways. We demand better prices
for our chief commodity-tobac-
in order to obtain these
things. How can we obtain bet
ter and more remunerative prices
for the same unless we put our
selves in the position through
organization and cooperation.
Certainly the commission mer-
chants and buyers are not going
to heed our demands or even pay
any attention to them when we
throw our tobacco on the market
where we must take what is
given us for the same. The far
mers unfortunately have been
or many years the only class Of
aboring men who have failed to
organize and thus better their
own condition. We cannot de-
mand better prices for any com
modify unless we put ourselves
in the position to do so. The
merchant, the laborer, the pro-
fessional man, and those follow
ing other avocations of life fix
their prices and we have to pay
them or go without. Where is the
farmer who will be a Stacker in
this fight to obtain orr rights
which we have SO long been de-
priyed of ? The Stacker in this
light should be looked upon with
the same contempt that Stacker
is looked upon in time of war.
The duty that we owe our fire.
sides in time of peace is the
greatest duty we have to per-
form next to that we owe our
God and country. We owe a
duty to our fellowmen. Are we
going to respond to our duty in
this drive 7 The women in this
county should not rest until every
relative and friend is a member
Of this Association, for its sue
cess means better living condi-
tons for them, better food, bet
ter clothes, better education for
their children and an opportunity
for more relief from drudgery in
the enjoyment OF more of the
pleasures OF life.
We now sound our last call to
all farmers Of this county who
have not joined the Association
to get in before the 10th. We
urge that this call be answered
today. if this drive is unsuc-
cessful and the organization is
forced to abandon its fight for
the interest of the farmer, then
the farmer who remains outside
must shoulder the responsible
ty. We have done our duty and
been unceasing in the perform