The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-22
General Agricultural Information.

have almost reached the time when farm
ers may control or dictate the price of
not only cotton, but all other crops grown
in this country 1t has been stated that
the past season the farmers of Texas
were able to control the price of IS per
cent of the cotton crop grown in that
state. ! am not well enough posted on
this to say whether or not this has been
the case: however from what [ have
seen and heard l am inclined to question
the statement. While the statement may
or may not be overdrawn. yet the re-
suit has been SO satisfactory that the
farmers in the west are encouraged to
believe that through a well organized eff
fort, the will be able to control the
prices of all crops grown. ! read re-
Gently in one of our great papers that
a movement was now on foot to extend
this organization among the farmers of
the west. The plan is this: To bring
into one great organization 100000 or
about one-third of the farmers of the
United States. The idea is that an
ganization of this kind will be able to
exert wonderful influence on the price
of farm products, If not to become able
to control the prices entirely.
Now it is not my purpose to say
whether or not such a movement Is right
or whether or not it will bring the de-
sired results. l only wish to outline
few facts and to give my opinion on the
subject. In the first place, the farmers
OF the country have for some time been
crying out about the great trusts that
haze been, as they think, sapplng their
blood, bleeding them in every deal
Does not this movement now on the part
of the farmers threaten that 1t may be-
come enc of the greatest trusts ever or
ganizad In this country? As a practical
farmer and one who is in sympathy
with every honest, legitimate movement
Il It is brought forth having for Its OBJ
ject the uplifting of our farmers. ask
to be Permitted to submit few questions
for the consideration of the farmers who
read these lines.
First, why is it that the farmers have
never been able to bring about this much
d ired result, that of being able to con-
troll the price of their crops and why is
it that every farmers organization in
the past has gone to pieces of its own
weight? In giving my answer, I want to
deal with these questions honestly, but
at the same time l want to be plain, so
that there may be no mistake in my posi-
ton
There are several reasons why farmers
have failed in accomplishing what they
intended when forming their organiza-
lions. First, they began at the top OF
the ladder to build; they started out to
build up by putting some other business
do III. Second, there was too much illit-
eracy brought into the organization, for
no illlterate man Is capable of protect
ing himself or his general interests Third,
farmers organizations in the past seem
t. have ben unmindfu of the fact that
the first step leading to protection was
education. Fourth, unscrupulous grafters,
wolves In Sleeps clothing, who had no
good will at heart for the farmer, came
in. tools advantage of the illiterate con-
Af 90 de M
dissension and famed the flames of enmi-
ty and jealousy which the illiterate state
of mind of the farmer had kindled. In
this manner the very purposes OF the or
ganization were defeated. What assurance
have we that the same kind of design
ing grafters will not be able to get In
their work again among the farmers and
once more defeat their purposes? Are
they not already getting in their work?
My answer Is, yes. In many cases and
in many places. agitators are going out
among the farmers, trying to make them
dissatisfied with their condition In life
and having nothing better to offer them.
They go among the farmers bowling
about selling crops instead Of teaching
them how to grow crops. Our farmers,
as rule are not paupers or objects of
charity, and the farmers of today who
are not comfortably fixed has no one to
blame but themselves unless sickness or
misfortune has befallen them.
Let me melton a case that took place
only a few days ago to illustrate the
point 1 wish to make. The farmers of a
certain Section of our country gathered
in beautiful grove for great picnic.
They came in fine buggies and carriages,
drawn by well-bred horses and mules.
The farmers, their wives and their child
rem were we'll dressed and brought great
baskets of the very best fruits and pro-
ducts of their farms. Some Of these farm
ers last year sold $50 worth of cotton per
acre, others received $50 per acre for their
alfalfa hay, others produced from fifty
to ninety bushels of corn per acre, some
We're selling hogs at from to cents per
pound, others selling butter fat for Is
cents per pound, and besides these, there
are numerous other farm products, all
of which are bringing good prices, so that
1t would seem that only the song of graf
itude should have been sung on an occa-
sion of this kind.
Now these thrifty farmers thought It
we'll to invite some one to address them.
The speaker of the day happened to be
one of these calamity howlers, who
seemed to have an undue amount of
sympathy for the poor down-trodden
farmer. He pictured the wretched condi-
tions of the farmers, attempted to show
them how they were imposed upon by
everyone they had any dealings with,
raved about the trusts and tried to i'm
press upon these farmers that the rail-
roads, bankers and merchants were all
organized for expressing the farmers. He
went on TO say that no doubt but that
some of the farmers present had been
compelled to sell the last one-horned COW
or one-eyed work mule in order to get
shoes and clothing respectable enough for
them TO appear at this gathering. Now,
this is the same old thing we heard thirty
years ago and is only an insult to the in
telligence of the better class of farmers.
Is it possible that the farmers in this
day of education and civilization will
again try to build up a great organization
with such men as this to lead them? Let
us hope not, and try to believe that such
case as this is the exception and not
the rule. Had | been addressing these
people, / should have complimented them
upon the fact that through their energy
and intelligence they had brought about
a period of unprecedented agricultural
prosperity, that in the last few years
we had broken all records in the amount
of agricultural wealth produced in this
country, that there never was a time be-
fore when our farmers were as we'll paid
for every intelligent effort applied to their
farms as they are today and would have
tried to give an outline by which the pres
ent prosperity might be maintained al
most indefinitely To the less fortunate
] should have tried to give advice that
would lead them to share in the prosperi-
ty Of their more fortunate neighbors. In
other words, I would try to build up and
If could not help a man to better his
conditions ! would not try to pull him
down or TO discourage him.
But after all, is there not a better plan
whereby the farmers of our country NAV