The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-22

al session at the Auditorium at 2
o'clock.
The advance guard Of the delegates
same ia last evening and they have
been struggling in in twos and threes
ali the morning. By Tuesday after
noon the congress viii be able to get
settled down to the work which 1t has
cut out for itself-if it really knows
what 1t wants. At the present time
beyond certain fundamental wishes
which the farmers desire to see work
I'd out in some definite form, the work
Df the congress seems to be largely
matter Of speculation.
The congress Is made up of repre-
Bentadves from a great variety Of CO.
operative erprises-insurauc com
pauies. creamer elevator companies
but the big giant which OvertOwers
everything else is the Farm ers' union,
The organization of the south which
has been instrumental in keeping up
The price Of cotton, aiding the erection
Of warehouses and gins, with its 76O,
poo mem bers. One Of the objects of
The meeting viii be to organize a
branch of the union In this state.
James Butler is at the head Of the
local movement which has already
about 5000 members pledged but
which has not been formally enrolled
Into the main body of the union. In
conjunction the following state organ
lzauons will be in session: Iowa Farm
er the Grain Dealers association, the
Kansas Independent Grain Dealers
association.
If the F'arme ers' union gets into the
strides it has made in Georgia, Ala
bama and the states skirting the Gulf
the grain dealers Of the state can we'll
afford to be afraid. for. the planters in
those states have as in the hollow Of
their palms the cotton crop of the
south They fix the prices that they
want and they see that they get what
they want
Cotton is now selling around about
II cents-the Farmers union brought
1t there.
President Barrett Explains.
c. S. Barrett of Atwater, Georgia. is
llhe president Of the union which has
hate organizations in 2 2 states. Bar
fett IS a true son Of the south. You
catch q Whit OF the warm Ianguid air
which bTeathes over the cotton fields
Of Georgia when you talk to him. He
ls small dark chap but with consid-
cradle enthusiasm Of what the Farm
srs' union has done and will do.
eyes, sub said he. 1--WE have 1855
coo mem bers belonging to the union
now. We've been organized now
about I'VE yeahs and we ah CROWN at
the rate Of about 1000 day. Theh
has never been anotha organization
EroW so fast We beat them all. No
BODY mas ever seen anything ike 1t.
What have we done? Ny goodness,
haven't you heard of us. 7 should
think you people would wake up and
nnd out about what is happentn'
why. we have raised the price Of
rotton so that it is bein' sold now foh
eleven cents We have built ware
houses all through the land down theh
and we hold onto ouah cotton until
we get the price we think Is right In
the state of Alabama alone theh are
II warehouses Then we have gin
houses and we gin ouah own cotton
I've have cotton mills. woollen mills
and we are putting up canning fac
tories-aH of them owned by the
farmers a canning factory has lust
been put uD near where I live. I
1--we down IN the peach section of the
south. We had a good deal Of trouble
peaches rottened on US and couldn't
get ouah plant to runnin' right away
but even at that its going to nav out
sven What won't it do when things
get to runniu' rignt2
I'VE haven't come here to Iegfslate
we are not politicians This is no
alliance business. We are Just acting
IKE folks. We know what We want
ma we are going to ask fob it. Gen