The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-10-08
Farmers Educational
AND
Co. Operative Union
Of America
Meaning Of Cooperation.


At the signing of the Declaration OF
Independence in l176, one of the mem
bers CT the Continental Congress ex
claimed, I'VE must all hang together!"
Yes, said another member, "or We
will all hang separately"
This truth SO forcibly stated is APP,
plicable to the members of the Farm.
ers' Union today. | have stated time
and again, and | challenge contradic.
tion, that nothing can withstand the
onward march of the Farmers Union
as an order SO long as il presents a
united front to the outside world.
SO long as. We hang together
the order is invincible. But when.
ever pickering, and strife, and die.
sentalions, divide and disintegate the
membership, then shall We assuredly
"all hang separately"
But what is the meaning OF the word
"cooperation?" To operate" means
to act. to work. to exert power.
strength. and to cooperate" means to
work jointly with others. to pull to-
gether" to accomplish definite results.
II is a simple matter-just to blend
our energies with those of our neigh
bors. 1t is making a single human
machine out Of many individual brains
and hands, We need not and ought
not TO lose our Individuality, but our
aims and the objects we wish to &C.
complish must be in common with
those of our neighbors. 1t may spring
from the most selfish motives, or from
perfect altruism, but whatever be the
motives that inspires it, cooperation
multiplies individual effort and pro.
duces results far beyond what could
be accomplished through the same
individuals acting separately or indie.
pendently, and not in harmony.
This is emphatically an age of or.
ganization. The church is organized:
merchants are organized, bankers are
organized-and why not the farmers!
II Is right to organize for legitimate
purposes, so long as no effort is made
to trample upon the rights OF others.
But when organized greed tries to stine
competition and to crush out the other
fellow-there is where the harm comes
in. Blu. organization has its prop
er uses, and the farmers ought to
avail themselves Of It.
Organization is community of In.
terest: 1t is a machine made out Of
individuals; It another name for
cooperation. The founders Of the
Farmers Union Builded wisely
when they added the word "coopera.
tive" to Its name.
But what Is to be gained by the
farmers cooperating through the
Farmers Union? Let us see.
/. To certain extent they can con.
troll the prices of their products. They
may not do 1t in one year. or two
years, but in time they will succeed.
provided they act wisely and will pull
together and stick together. 1t is said
that farmers will not stick together.
Now is the golden opportunity to prove
the contrary. Diversity your crops
and live at home so that you will be
independent and then stand together
for fair prices.
2. By cooperation in buying you
can purchase supplies much cheaper
than when you act singly and alone.
s. 1t witt enable you to resist those
who try to Cypress you; it will aid you
in doing away with the mortgage sys-
tenn, which is the curse of farmers; It
will aid you in improving your neigh.
borhood, in securing good roads and
good schools for your children In a
word, 1t will enable you to so improve
your condition that life will be worth
living. thus bringing JOY and peace
and gladness to the hearts of your
wives and children.
An old man lay dying, so the story |
goes. and gathered mis- seven sons
around him. He babe them bring him
a bundle of seven sticks tied together,
and each son in turn ried to break |
the bundle, but could not Untying
The bundle, even the youngest child |
broke each stick easily. What lesson !,
IN cooperation. Members of the Farm !,
ers' Union. let the motto, UNITED we !,
stand, divided we fall" sink deep into
rour hearts. In no other way can we !
garner the tears of the distressed and ,
bring laughter to the cheeks of inno- /
,ent childhood. "-aIississippi Union
Advocate.