The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-09-26
Mr.. Owens Replies to Mr.. Ward.

Mr.. Owens Replies to Mr.. Ward.
Brandon, Miss, Sept. 80, 1907. -,
Editor Brandon News: An article in
last weeks News entitled, "Will Dis
courage the Idea,'' by Mr.. Ward,
wherein he seeks to discredit the ad-
visibility of the Farmers Union buy
ing at wholesale, and proposing to-
argue the subject, he says, from the.
standpoint of the farmer before the
Retail Merchants Meeting at Vicks-
burg, smacks of inconsistency, espec-
tally in the standpoint he proposes to
take, which he certainly failed to do
in the article referred to above.
| am not member of the Union
and don't know as ever will be.
But having been raised farmer and
being somewhat engaged in that oc-
cupation, feel an interest in those of
the calling, and in questions likely to
effect their condition, but hold no
enmity against those following other
occupations.
My object in presenting this article
to you readers is to bring before the
public the other side of the question,
so seldom touched by the presses
pecially the local press-which
medium consider the best in the
world for the dissemination of
knowledge Of those questions bearing
on the home-life, and occupations of
the rural communities. I would like
to ask Mr.. Ward how it can be that
a man "weakens his own possessions
by keeping the pay for piece Of
work and doing the work himself,
without extra expense, rather than
giving it to some one else for doing
the same work, although the other
party (the merchant) calls it profit in
stead of pay.
In reference to the markets for our
products, will sag, while the Union
is buying for it's mem bers it might act
as salesman also. There are great
quantities of wood destroyed every
year in this section that our merchants
might buy, thereby keeping at home
considerable sums of money sent out
of the state for coal.
Now the fact is the farmers are
paying too many hands merchants J
too much wages for doing their buy
ing and selling business, according to
their own notions. No doubt the
problem will eventually be worked
out on sound basis, whether through
the agency of the Union. or some
other combination. AS limited by
Mr.. Ward, there will probably be
some plan put before the retailers
union to try to prevent the whole
salers selling to the Farmers Union
That has been done before now, and
although it is manifestly unjust and
contrary to law is being done today
The best and most effective argument
the merchant can use, is to make it to
the interest of the farmer to trade
with him instead of the wholesaler
What other reason is there tor paying
the merchant for sending his money
to the wholesaler instead of letting
the Union do it, or sending it him.
self. We all know it must go SO what
difference to the community who
sends it? So long as it goes why
should it promote the interest of the
community more for the merchant to
send it than the farmer? Why not
the farmer get the profit and use it
to build better school houses, and
roads, or improve his place? It seems
to me that there would be no diminu-
tion Of the benefits accrning to the
community by such use of the prof.
! it's. The only question on that point
would be as to the ability Of the diff
ferent parties to use the money most
advantageously. In fact the whole
question of the advantages to the
community lies in which, the farmer,
or the merchant, can use the profits
to the best advantage.
| Deeming this as one Of the questions