Christopher Newman Midwest Political Science Association 2004
Elgin Community College Dark Tobacco Patch War—Revolution Analysis
2
The sufficient and proximate cause of the conflict in the Dark Patch was a sharp
decrease in the price offered to farmers for their crop.
4
In the last decade of the
Nineteenth Century, farmers had received comfortable profits with a price of 8 to 12
cents per pound.
5
As the Twentieth Century dawned, however, acquisition of monopoly
power among tobacco purchasers through collaboration between the domestic monopoly
American Tobacco Company and the foreign purchasing interests (commonly referred to
as the “Regie”) resulted in agreed purchasing territories and fixed low prices for tobacco
purchasing agents.
6
Lack of competitive bidding among tobacco buyers resulted in prices
dropping to an average of four cents a pound in the period 1901—1903
7
, which was two
cents per pound under the actual cost of production, let alone providing a living for the
farmer and his family.
8
The situation was even worse for those regions where prices
dipped as low as three, two, and in some case one cent per pound.
9
Initially the farmers, under the leadership of wealthy planter Felix Ewing, sought
to band together voluntarily in the Planters’ Protective Association to counter the
riders wanted solidarity and would not tolerate opposition whether by small or large
tobacco growers. Undoubtedly the largest tobacco growers encouraged night riding and
contributed their sons to the ranks, bu[t] they expected their neighbors to support the
vigilantes regardless of class. Within a year [of 1905], farmers boldly burned tobacco
warehouses, destroying tobacco not consigned to the association.” Christopher Waldrep,
“Planters in the Planters’ Protective Association in Kentucky and Tennessee,” The
Journal of Southern History 52, No. 4 (Nov. 1986) [hereinafter “Planters in the
Association”] 587.
4
Martha McCulloch-Williams, “The Tobacco War in Kentucky,” The American Review
of Reviews 37 (Feb. 1908) [hereinafter “Kentucky Tobacco War “] 168.
5
On Bended Knees 9.
6
Kentucky Tobacco War 168.
7
Tobacco Night Riders 7-8.
8
On Bended Knees 38.
9
Tobacco Night Riders 14.
Convention