The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-02-12
FARMERS SHOULD ORGANIZE.

The three great branches or divisions of hu-
man labor are agriculture, manufactures and
commerce. OF these agriculture is generally
conceded to be the most important, both on ac-
count Of its priority, being coevil with man him
self, and from which emanatcd the very dawn of
civizati ion itself, and also from the fact that il
is the basis, the ground-sill upon which every
business rests. Thus VIC find in the settlement
Of new territory the productive powers of man
are first directed to this branch of industry,
because the wants of man are directly supplied
by it, and thus it becomes the basis not only of
individual but national wealth we'll, and thus
gives rise to and supports the other great divi-
sions or deparments-that is, manufactures and
commerce. Upon this basis they rest, by this
they are sustained, and upon this hinges and
depends every other pursuit of man. 1t would
then seem right and reasonable that business
Of such vast importance should be carefully nur-
tured and everything done in its interest, in
order to its constant improvement, and to this
end organization is necessary. But farming as
business has always bcen looked upon rs
rather degrading, and his life as one of drudgery
without attractions fit only for the unlettered,
the unlearned, and many farmers themselves
seem to snare the same idea, that theirs is
very humble calling compared with other avoca-
tions; that their business ostracises and units
them for the associations of those in more pre-
tcnticus callings. This should not be so, and
IL
you do not think enough of your business to try
to elevate it, you may rest assured other people
will not. Hence, to divest your calling of seem
ing degradation and drudgery, and raise it to
its proper place and rank among the other avo-
cations of life, organization is necessary.
Again, ever since the day it was announced
to man that I" in the sweat Of thy face shalt thou
cat bread" it seems taken for granted that this
edct applies solely to the tllcrs of the SOIL and
,yh nf he - nj fho
mercy of the balance Of the world. So that the
custom has always been with the farmer in dis
posing of his surplus, take what you arc offered,
and in buying what he needs to give what you
are asked. And this is so in n great measure
simply because he acquiesccs and allows it to be
80. To remedy this, as far possible, organi-
zaton is necessary. For while the great law Of
supply and demand does and should control, to
certain extent, yet the cost of production
should have something to do with prices, and
farmers are as much entitled to reasonable
profit on capital invested rs any other class Of
men, but rarely if ever do they get it. Future
speculation, gambling in imagined products to =
very great extent control Such speculation
should be blottsd out, and proper organization
among farmers will do it, In other words
farmers have allowed other people to do their
thinking for them They have suffered their
occupation to be q football, to be kicked and
cutfed at the pleasure of ovNry thing else. When
farmers arc to be addressed on the great subject
of agriculture, some politician is assigned the
task, and they are generally loud in lauding the
farmer, the "horny handed hardy sons of TOLL
P@ans have long been sung in his praise; news
paper editors give advice freely. and it is the
easiest thing in the world to tell farmers that to
make their business profitable two bales of cot
ton must grow where one grew before, and then
if farmers complain of low prices they arc told
that they are producing too much cotton-the
West too much grain, and the South too mnch
cotton.
Now. farmers, we ask, is it not time for YOU
to take your own atfars-thc things that
belong to your own calling-into your own
hands? The laudations of politicians and dem
agogucs, their peans of praise, all this gratuit-
Gus advice from men who know as little of farm
ing as most farmers know of law, editing n
newspaper, or future spcculations in cotton.
They are all well enough, but never have nor
never viii advance your material interests.
There are other matters we would like to no.
tce, but our article is already too long. At
another time we may have something more to
say In co Inclusion we say to the farmers of this
country, look around and you will find every
other avocaton organized, for whose benefit :?
Ger tainly to promote their own interests, and
not in the special interest of any other class
Ponder the matter well, and sec if there is not
a necessity for your organization, and let the
work begin at once. AGRIcoLA.
Mecklenburg Co.