Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-01
FARMERS union IN review,
Remarkable Growth Of the Ofganlza'
ton In Five Years.
PROTECTION OF PRODUCER ITS OBJECT
How the Union Came Into Existence
Some of the Things It Has Done,
and Some Of the Things It Is Trying
TO Do

| Some of the Things 1t Has Done
and Some of the Things It Is Trying
to Do.
Atlanta Constitution.
The Farmers Educational and CO.
operative Union Of America was char
tered under the laws Of the state OF
Texas on August %, 1902.
It Is Of Texas origin; was brought
into being in the greatest common
wealth in the southwest and thence has
gone forth on it's mission Of good to
the farming classes, into all the SOUTH
ern states and many in the west and
northwest.
The organization was conceived In
the mind of Newt Gresham Of Point
Rains county, Tex, and was at the time
the charter was granted for this. the
greatest Of all farmers organizations
As years Of age. He had been a far
mer nearly all his life. He edited
newspaper q few years. with the vary
ing vicissitudes Of the country weekly
publisher.
Born in Alabama, February 20. 1858
he died at his home in Point, Texas
April 10, 1906, mourned not alone by
his nearby friends and neighbors but
by his confreres Of the Farmers Union
wherever a local union had existence
A monument was unveiled and dedi-
Gated to his memory at the grave In
the country cemetery near his late
home. Sunday, October 6, 1907.
That something like the honor due
the founder Of the order might be made
for the support Of his widow and or
phaned children. the Farmers Nation
al Union. in convention recently held In
Little Rock. Ark, adopted button
photograph of him as the national en-
blem and ordered that the photograph
be sold at 25 cents each for the benefit
of the family and for the proper edu-
cation of the children, four in number
Mr.. Gresham was the real founder OF
the organization. He argued that as
other classes and callings organize for
their mutual benefit and protection
setting a price on their labor the far
mers should also organize for their
mutual benefit and protection, setting
price on the products Of their farms
He reasoned. and most justly. that, as
the farmers Of all this land were the
prey of the predatory hordes who
speculated in farm products, the cotton
exchanges. grain exchanges, bucke'
shops. associations and street buyers
thew being protected by both national
and state laws in their Vaccinations
their combinations and their schemes
to fix the price of the products OF the
farmer thereby enriching themselves
off the farmers labor while they grew
poorer year by year, that 1t was most
meet for them, Of all classes. to organ
ize In self-defense. for the protection
Of themselves and families, from bitter
want, their children from the blight OF
ignorance, albeit this is a boasted land
Of schools.
He had felt the iron in his soul. Fol-
wears he toiled the long weary years
from the glimmer Of the dawning TO
the deepening shadows Of the twilight
day by day and year by year, only to
see the result Of his labor priced by
other people and taken from him FOL
their enrichment, while he grew poorer
He had seen his wife and little ones
he had seen the women and children
all over the southland forced into the
fields to do the labor of men that star
vation might be kept from their doors
the housework Of the women left un-
done, the children growing up without
education. He had seen the generous
Yields of Mother Earth Of her products
in response to the labor Of himself and
his loved ones ruthlessly taken from
them, as was the case throughout al
the country by combinations Of mer
who never toiled who never saw. many
of them, a growing stalk Of cotton. oi
corn or Of wheat in all their lives. He
saw the farmers, the workers In the
hive who produced all the wealth anc
real prosperity Of this great country
deprived bodily Of their own by the
1rones until at last human endurance
had reached its limit and resistance tc
oppression became a sacred duty.
Its Origin In Necessity.
This was the origin of the Farmers
Union. Born Of dire necessity anc
christened in the hearts blood OF H.
100000 American farmers. 1t Is sacred
This organization Is banding together
the farmers Of this nation for the pro-
lection and maintenance Of their rights
and therefore for the preservation OF
the nation itself. that it may not perlsr
from the face of the earth. swept into
the tomb Of the dead nations OF the
ages. destroyed by the greed and graf'
of the mammon worshipers. lmbuec
with these ideas and inspired with
lofty patriotism, Mr.. Gresham induced
nine other men. all of Rains county
Texas. to Join him, and the charter
was taken out in the names OF these
ten men as follows:
Newt Gresham, w. S. Sisk, y. n
Rodes, T. w. Donaldson, T. ]. Pound
Jesse Adams, Lee Seamster. ]. S. Tur'
ner. w. T. Cochran and ]. B. Morris.
These are the men who put into be-
ling, a little more than five years ago
this farmers organization that nov
numbers more than 100000 member!
and is organizing more rapidly eacf
succeeding month.
AS an illustration Of its marvellous
growth. l will state that in Texas, TIT
birthplace Of the order nearly 300 new
local unions have been organized ant
chartered during the past month. Man!
other states are organizing fully a.
rapidly. We have now fifteen stat
unions and the work Of organization Il
being vigorously pushed in many othe
states
While it had it's origin in the south
it Is in no wise a sectional institution
It's one great object is to control tn
price of the products Of the farm-no
of one section, but of all sections o
the country-whereby the farmers