The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-06-28

Tn. Farmer and the Manufacturer,-
The Necessity of Unity on Part Of
The Farmer,-The signs OF the
Times.
Editor Press and Banner:
A great deal is being said now about
controlled markets. We mean markets
controlled by lhe producers themse 1 We e
years. But By whom? By the different
boards oftrade, by the gentlemen who sit
back on their dignity and handle our crops
with pen and paper and who never do any
hard manual labor but are making three
and four times as much out OF the neces.
saries Of life as the men who toll day ip and
day out in the heat Of summer and cold OF
aud call him "old hay seed" and who say
the farmers haven't sense enough TO stick
together.
These men Of great means who have been
made rich by tricks of trade who have not
only dared 10 say just how much shall be
paid 10 the Woodworking tillers Of the soil
but how much the Woodworking consu.
mers in the cities shall pay for the necessa.
have the audacity to pay the farmer cents
per pound for pork and sell It to the consu.
mer at from Is to 20 cents per pound.
Yes Sir, we have controlled markets for Q
long time but not the kind that suits US
What we want now and what we must
nave and what we are going to have is q
market controlled by the producers them.
selves. We don't want exorbitant prices,
but equitable prices that will give the pro-
Queer q fair profit on bis investment and
labor. Under the present system very few
farmers have been able to make bnt q mean
living. Very few have been able to I'm.
prove their homes as they would Ike To
have done and as their comfort and con
~venience demand. Many would like to see
their homes comfortably ARRANGED and
S sssi, n Sn' Ussn as gI,e 3 a 1sgs GSTIa ed eSsss .'G sb,S Dp'
fo6bpeffy. A'
Ifyou will examine the history OF our
country you Will hnd In most cases tue
legislation.
But the farmer by being too busy to read
and think has failed 10 get what he should
have had and got what he dig not want: J..
foreign markets and actually sell them for
less money than they can get for the same
article In America, simply because We have
laws favoring the American manufacturers
TO assist him In getting q better price for
bis products but the law OF supply and
demand will regulate the price.
not why did It not govern he price last
season? Did the farmers not force the
price OF cotton up when they stood as o
unit, even though there was the largest
crop. on hands that was ever known. Their
/ "St0 "ASA bASS w
az one man and demanded 1t.
We must become a unit on this proper.
sitlon. viz. The pricing of our products. II
Is a duty we not only owe to ourselves but
Some may "a this has been tried before
and failed, such Is not the case. No true
reform once started can fail.
The time may be prolonged but the ques.
must be met and settled right. We are
the only o1es to settle II. Our courts can
not and will not do 1t.
believe there can be no progress made
In this direction without united action,
There ia but one reasonable conclusion and
and that is to organize and act together.
The cheapest kind OF labor In cities-Jan-
itors, coal heavens, street olea boot
blacks, are organized and their rights are
The highest class OF laborers-engineers
electrical experts and high .sslaried mechan-
los are organized and their rights are pro
tected.
Not on the American soil today is there
a body OF men not organized except the
farmers, Perhaps you will say he Is too
scattered. you are not too scattered to visit
your home town near by every Saturday
afternoon.
What is wanted is a leader to propose
Are you willing to take. the lead9 II not,
don't you know who would make you q
I ask you TO do this now as organization
Ia In the air and no prosperous and ~intelli-
gent community will want 10 be behind
IN this movement. am not asking you
to do anything which will cost you Q dol.
lar. but on the other.hand to get In o position
to keep the profits on what you raiRe and
not allow the middle man 10 get all the
profits all the time.
1900 farmers in q township are organized
who or what Is there 10 oppose their plans?
You ask for what you want q get II.
VIII this pay for trouble of forming q Far
mers Union7
Let me impress II on you TO move In this
matter now. The matter Of forming these
Unions Into Q State ORDINATION will begin
very soon.
The National Farmers Association IL
almost organized for the purpose OF Direct
Ing and encouraging the formation OF local
Farmers Uoions everywhere. Iappeal TO
your intelligence and good sense that there
Is nothing to loose and much to be gained
by Joining In this work Of farmers o~rganiza-
| tion. The time Is not far distant when you
| and those who act with you will be proud
OF the part pop tax In the Farmers organi.
cation. IN tVelvs months 1t will be the
most powerful organization ip the world.
W. T.. Kennedy.