The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-06-25

Lary Tor Work zone, anu 81 wv WIN
the Business Agents, whether sub or
county. You injure any people when
you educate themto expect something
for nothing. Beyond the education
in the Alliance, educate them to be
independent to pay as they go, SO far
as possible. We have many among
US who are officers who would not re-
ceive pay for their services, but let
the money be paid in to the Treasury
for the benefit Of exchanges, for the
State Fund, to aid brethren who have
met losses by fire or flood, but incul-
cate the principle of paying for what
you get. Lack of correct business
habits and thoughts is the greatest
draw back we have.
/ would suggest that at our next
annual meeting our Sub-Alllance and
County Alliance Lecturer be requested
to urge the Importance of the Bust
ness Agency Fund and if in the wis
dom of the State Alliance it should
be thought wise to put few lecturers
in the field to visit our Sub-Alliances
and raise funds-raise the fund to
800, 900 by all means.
Let us establish Exchanges. have
devoted much time recently to this
subject and [ say unhesitatingly that
there is money in it for every cotton
raiser-for us all.
l am not as anxious as l once was
to increase our membership rapidly
l would rather devote u time to
getting our membership (where organ
ized) in good working order 1t is
very unpleasant to attend a County
| Alliance and see members come in
that have to be vouched for, whose
knowledge of a unit is entirely devel-
oped. [ want to tell you how we
have secured a library of over 40, 900
pages of good agricultural and
scientific literature. | appealed to the
U. S. and to the State officials
stating that we desired contributions
stating the objects in view-the
educational advantages, and to the
new States that their publications
would be where those that contem-
plated leaving could get an intelligent
idea Of the country. Scores of well
bound volumes, pamphlets, reports,
etc., poured in, most cases prepaid
either postage or express. Some of
the volumes received have but little
interest to the general reader, but
some of them are rich in information
and such information as the farmer
needs.
We must get u membership in
terested. If we have essays-practical
discussions and a good library to
choose from we are fairly started, but
we must circulate our literature. 1
have noticed that those that read our
organs are our best, our promptest
paying members. They are always
ready to defend our cause, and can do
so intelligently. l cannot listen in
good spirit to a member when he tells
me that he is taking so many papers
now that he can't read what he now
gets, or that he can't afford to take
our organ. The truth is he can't afford
to be without it.
Fifty-two sermons a year for two
pounds of tobacco. Fifty-two visits
to our homes and a good long chat on
the progress of our order in our own
and other States for eleven pounds of
cotton.
An average of 500 letters per year
from your brothers that have made
their homes east, west north or south
in reference to the dearest temporal
cause that a true patriot, a good citi
zen and an honest man has at heart
for six pounds of dried r~aspberries.
You get the best practical ideas of
our best. best men in all the counties
in all the States where we are or
gained, their thoughts on all subjects
of interest to us. You get a good
clean moral christian paper, devoted
to our cause for only 100 cents and
then say you can't afford to take it;
why it makes me feel as if the ALI
ance enthusiasm in your thermometer
was below zero.
l can only speak for our Alliance,
and | know that those that read our
papers are our best workers. They
are more hopeful-and theirs is an
intelligent hope. .,|
Let our membership be educated
and they will have more interest and
attend our meetings more regularly,
and least-the easiest-the cheanest
way to do this is to have our member
ship to read u State organ-and
those that want to study the abstruse
side of it take the National organ-I
could not think of doing without
either-and if there is a member that
will read these two for one year and
is not benefited $l.75 by reading
them he is out of place in our order.
Brethren think over these sugges-