William Helms: “criticism of and attacks on the tobacco industry--and, by implication, tobacco growers--has become a sort of…”

“criticism of and attacks on the tobacco industry--and, by implication, tobacco growers--has become a sort of one-upmanship cottage industry among politicians who, in earlier days, scrambled to pay their respects to those engaged in growing tobacco and manufacturing it. The name of the game is ``piling on'' and the political types are doing it with gusto. Last month, Mr. President, Dot Helms and I attended a meeting of the Burley and Dark Leaf Tobacco Association at Williamsburg. The distinguished speaker at the dinner was Fred Barnes, one of today's most respected journalists. Presiding at the dinner was an impressive young lady, Pem Pfisterer Clark, general manager of the Stemming District Tobacco Association in Henderson, KY. During the program, Ms. Clark recited a touching poem she had written about tobacco farmers. To those of us whose States produce tobacco, so heatedly maligned by its turncoat one-time friends, Pem Clark's tribute to these farmers was something that needed saying--and she said it well.”