The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-08
FARMERS HEAR
WELCOME WORDS
Union Begins It's Annual
Meeting.
WORK TO BE DONE SECRETLY
ALI Speakers on Record Against
Child Labor.
Congressman Underwood Delivers
Address ON Good Roads-Lovfng
Cup 10 Presented to Press
fdent Barrett.
WORK TO BE DONE SECRETLY

Birmingham. Sept. with about
200 delegates present, the national
convention of the Farmers Education-
al and Cooperative Union opened this
morning.
After listening to seven speeches OF
welcome by as many orators on behalf
OF the city, the State farmers. the
Trades Council. the Business Mems
League. the Board OF Trade, the State
Federation OF Labor and the American
Federation of Labor and to one re-
Spouse to all these. the convention
began its business session. President
Charles Barrett made the response.
The keynote of all the speeches was
the necessity for the farmer to Join
with the trades union movement for
his own protection against the ag-
gressIon of capital. The speakers all
went on record as against the employ
ment OF women or children In the cot
ton fields or In the mills.
The only public address was upon
| the subject, GOOD Roads" delivered
by Oscar w. Underwood, Congressman
from the Ninth district Mr.. Under
wood made a stirring appeal TO the
farmers to aid in every way the move
| ment for good roads as one OF the
strongest factors in the advanceDent
OF the agriculturist.
This address closed the open meet
ing OF the convention and the union
went into executive session. The prin-
cipal topics to be discussed will be the
extension OF the movement. the fixing
OF the price of cotton and the best
means to compel members to hold their
crop for this price. II is not unlike
~ that the union will also arrange for
the erection of more warehouses.
Presidents Address.
In his address, President Barrett re-
viewed the past accomplishments or
the organization, its policies and hopes
for the future.
Nothing in creation, whether q
| blade of grass. q man. a nation. or an
| organization stands still, II 10 either
progress or retroEression. said the
president. This law applies to the
Farmers Union and 1t Is a matter OF
| extreme qualification to me to report
4 for the year gone. LA
Il would not hold as the isreates'
blessing the most fortunate thing I
mere increase In physical bulk. Thu
most important feature of our growth
| for the past year, the most Significant
development in the history of th'
| Farmers Union. Is the plain fact thai
we are doing not SO much talking but
| INDUCING in more action. We are dis
| covering every day more vlvidly thai
success does not lie In passing resolu'
tions, In fruitIess denunciation or IN
fiery speech making, but that II does
lie In patient. plodding labor. In vigil.
ance that refuses never TO sleep. IN
| Judgment and calm questioning thai
does not believe that moneyed prom
| ises of the politicians ana schemers but
| that passes them all alike under the
microscope, that places them all in an
acid bath to test their sincerity and
| genuineness. Not all of us have as YET
become methodical. careful business
men, Incapable of being fooled OF
swept of our feet by the enthusiasm
of the moment But We are going IN
| that direction at a good speed and we
are getting a little reckless about the
speed limit. too. In other words,
brethren. we are hitching commoa
sense and self preservation to the
plow."
After telling of the efforts to bring
about business methods In the markets
| ing of grain crops. touching up the
| politician and the stock manipulator
he said: 1.-THE one way to permanently
assure a fair price for cotton. wheat.
grain or any other product Is to place
ourselves in the position where we are
not absolutely at the mercy OF tbs
buyer"
He urged cooperation. the selection
| of the best and most able leaders In
each State and then back them up. not
undermine them.
another thing I think needs to be
| impressed upon every member OF the
farmers union. whether official or not,
| said President Barrett. and that IL
that we have all enlisted for the war,
not for one battle or for one campaign,
Great reforms. revolutionary crusades
are never contaminated quickly, and
as the ends of the Farmers Union con-
templating as they do eQualiZing ulti.
nateIy the last wrong. the smallest In
! equality under which the producer suf-
fers: contemplating the developments
of the farmer until he is able TO battle
for his rights, political. economical and
Industrial on a plane with every other
element of population cannot be ma
terialized over night"
While the sessions of the convention
are In executive. the matter of price
for cotton has already come up for
consideration and the holding back OF
the crop until the price is Forthcoming
may be planned.
After the regular speeches were
concluded. the Georgia delegation pre-
scented President Barrett with a hand
some loving cup. ]. l. Broune, OF
Greenville. made the presentation.