The patron of husbandry., 1882-02-11
Animal Address.

Annual Address.
Delivered Before the Johnson County
Cooperative Association at their An
nual Meeting in Olathe, Kansas, Janu-
airy 10, 1889, by w. Il. Toothaker
President
Ny Brothers. We have sembled
to- day for transacting the business
of the twenty second quarterly
meeting of this Association. The
contrast between this and the first
quarterly meeting is so striking
that we have been induced TO offer
few thoughts in favor of the prin
ciple upon which this enterprise is
founded. At the first meeting
few men assembled to inaugurate a
new system of business, to-day |
see before me nearly seven hundred
stock holders, the representatives Of
this principle.
In view of this repid develop
ment, it may be well to consider
the principle upon which our sys-
TEN of business is founded, that we
may clearly see that co operation is
our cardinal element of success;
so that we may lay broader and
deeper the foundation in order to
extend its benefits and blessings to
ourselves and posterity.
While the membership morally
may have correct understanding
of the term cooperation, we may
profitably consider the meaning in
its broadest sense, also its proba
bilities as bearing upon the indus
tries OF this country. Cooperation
has been defined as working to-
gether or concert Of action for the
accomplishment of certain ends
We apply it, in our business reIa-
tions, as an economic and equitable
system among the mem bership in
contradistinction to competition.
1t means united and harmonious
action of men associated together
for the purpose of obtaining certain
results that can not be brought
about by individual effort. 1t
means equitable distribution Of
wealth among those who contrib
ute to its production. A certain
American author and statesman
said, "Co operation is the goal of
industrial progress, and the APP
pointed means Of raising the labor
ing class from dependence and es-
tablishing it upon a basis of fore
cast, calculation, ,sobriety and thrift,
alike conclusive to material COM
fort, intellectual liture and moral
elevation" With this understand
ing of its meaning, we may expect
tor 1t a prosperous future. These
| definitions are coined from the ex-
periences of eminent co-operators
in this and other countries for thirty
or forty years; therefore, they may
be considered literally correct.
The first organization Of this kind
commenced in 1914 with 2S mem
bers, with capital of $40. This
example has been followed by over
| FIVE hundred communities, with an
aggregate membership of FIVE hum
dred thousand, and a joint capital
of over thirty millions Of dollars.
| There is one establishment whose
sales last year amounted to ST.
| 100000
This system has taught men the
great advantage of cash payments
over credit, and given them a new
knowledge of business affairs. 1t
makes men joint-proprietors in the
management Of their business.
thereby removing every incentive
TO deception and fraud. These are
some of the results that have been
obtained under this system.
The cooperative principle has
been adopted in many of the States
and Territories of the Union with
greater or less success. This occa~
sion will not permit me to enter
into detailed statement of their
conditions; but from information
received, there is no instance Of
failure where they have adopted
the Rochdale system; and, from my
experience, some reading upon the
subject and close observation, re-
gard failures as among the improb-
| abilities. The statements of the
| movements in the old world are
alike gratifying to both countries;
yet it is significant fact that here
in the territorial center OF the con-
tinent Of North America, equidis-
tant from the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, located on the lines Of the
Nationa! highways, with an intel
ligent and efficient citizenship, with
country unsurpassed in beauty
and fertility, is established a CO.
operative enter erprise the most sue
cessful one in the new world. You
have much larger profits for the
capital invested than have the co
operative establish hments of Eng
land, as comparison between their
quarterly reports and ours will de-
morstrate. In view of these sur
rounding circumstances, may we
not reasonably hope to become the
center round which shall gather the
CO operative movement in this
country. That this ideal may be-
come living reality, the people
must be more fully informed, and
understand how to make a practi-
cal application of he saving princi-