The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-08-27
FARMERS MUST ORGANIZE.
Only Way They Can Master the Sit
uation and Protect Their Own Inter-
ests-Views of T. 3. Parker, Secre-
tary of the North Carolina Farmers
Alliance.


RaltlRU I'th-
Mr.. r. B. Parker, Secretary OF the
Farmers Alliance, has returned from
Hillsboro and reports that the meet
ing of the State Alliance had a phe-
nomenal success, and the exercises
Wednesday were a great and delight
full feature. The speeches were excel
lent, the audience intensely interested
and the delegates highly enthusiastic
over the outlook for the coming
year.
He said that Notwithstanding this
very successful meeting, a year hence
they propose to doeven better. They
will put lecturers Immediately in the
field and strike while the iron is hot.
Everybody" he said, sis speaking
of the necessity of the farmers organ
izing. The alliance appointed COM
mittee, consisting of Prof. John Ora
ham, |. NJ. Green, DR.. J. E. Person
and r. B. Parker, to attend the
meeting at Rocky Mount Friday and
endeavOr to unite the farmers and
solve the problem which confronts
them. 1t can be DONE" he said, ''by
a united and determined people
He received a letter he said from a
prominent farmer and merchant OF
Goldsboro to-day in which the writer
saws: .'Present conditions are fine
to make the farmers organize. This
is their opportunity to do so; to sub
NIT now is to show impotence and
invite any assault that the trusts
desire to make Oh them and admit
their helplessness. We had Il fine
meeting iii GoldsbOrO Saturday.
Twenty-Five delegates were appointed
to attend the Rocky Mount meeting"
He has also received a letter from Il
prominent agriculturist in Pennsyl
vania congratulating the alliance on
the stand it has taken in regard to
the tobacco situation.
Knowing that Mr.. Parker was one
of the best informed men in the State
and a master of agriculture, the
Times reporter asked him some ques-
tiOns in regard to the tobacco crisis
and the Rocky Mount meeting. He
has great faith in this meeting and
thinks something will be done there
that will ultimately bring victory to
the farmers He believes in heroic
treatment; to temporize or longer
delay action is to invite disaster, but
this treatment should be applied to
ourselves first Let the farmers first
remedy their own mistake and apply
rational and buSineSs-like methods.
and the buyers, whether trust or
independent buyers, will be forced to
adapt themselves to the new Situa-
ton. We cannot force anyone to
buy, neither should we permit our
selves to be forced to sell. The
farmers can become masters of the
situation, but to do SO will require
patriotism and a willingness to sacri-
flee pet schemes and a positive re-
fusal to grow and sell tobacco or any
other crop for less than cost. How
about the boycott?
IL usually do not believe in the
boycott. Ii every one were to refuse
to buy the products of the American
Tobacco Company they would have
no need to buy any more tobacco
and we would lose our largest Gus
toner. He who is not for us is
against us, and us stringent measures
should be applied to the farmer who
refuses to join in this fight and stand
shoulder to shoulder with us as to
the trust. would not destroy the
American Tobacco Company if it
were in my power to do so. for it is
our largest buyer; neither would /
allow it to stifie competition. The
thing for us to do is to strengthen
our own forces SO the trust cannot
break through. That may require
the heroic measures spoken Of
What do you think of the reputed
large amount of tobacco the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company has on hand?
Il do not know. If they do not
need our present crop we cannot
force them to buy it, nor should we
try to push it on them. If they do
| need it, they should be made to pay
the worth of it. A bare market for a
few months would throw light on the
situation. a rsfusal toplant another
crop until the present is sold at living
prices would also be an eye-opener.
The country is not Over-StOcked with
meat and hay and grain. A crop of
that might be as remunerative as
anything we could plant. | think
meetings similar to the Rocky Mount
meeting should be held in nearly
every tobacco-especially bright to-
bacco-growing county in this State,
, South Carolina and Virginia and the
farmers urged to stand together in
this fight for better prices for tobacco.
Now is the time to make the fight.
Everybody is with us and will give
us all the assistance they can, if we