The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-12-05

Nell, former president OF the Texas
Farmers Union.
The meet ng was called to order by
ID. y. Ferguson OF the United Trades
Council, after which President West
Of the Oklahoma Farmers Union, /
stated the object OF the meeting. lie
sdiI that nc and MIR. Neil had been
holding similar meetings throughout
the object OF which was for the pur.
pose OF reorgan zing the different /
county unions. He said that reorgani. /
zatiOn was needed and the farmers
move to take hold and put the local
or county unions on their feet. lie I
then introduced Mr.. Nell. who start I.
ed his address by referring TO fign.
made by the old farmers alliance.
which later on was d.sruplel by
Launching into politics.
ITS easy enough to organize the
other fellow" the speaker said, but
it's hard to organize the farmer and
keep him organized. The flrmeIs
institutions are all right, but h work
is blocked by the systematic plans OF
the fellow on the outside who has
forever made the farmer his prey.
The farmer lacks not In industry.
but he lacks knowledge necessary
to the successful carrying out OF n,s
business. lie plants his cotton, gath
ers It and takes it TO the gin Here
mis- knowledge ends"
To illustrate the farmers neglect in
acquainting himself with the CONNER
cial side OF cotton raising. Mr.. Neill
told OF how he once took eight bales
OF cotton TO town. and going TO mei
chant asked him what he would We
him for II. The merchant made him
an offer on the entire lot. which was
accepted. After he had gotten his
money he learned that buyers on the
streets were paying three.fourths OF
cent more than he had sold his
eight bales for
If farmer carries load OF corn.
wheat or cotton to town." the speaker
said. he'll sell II whether the price
suits him or not; but II he has a
mule TO sell he'll keep It and drive 1t
back home II he cant get his price
for It."
There IL q machine operating tho
cotton market OF the world. II the
newspapers announced in the morning
that the price OF plows had advanced
100 po nts. or that calico had fallen OF.
100 points the merchant would be
In state OF wonGerment: but when
the papers announce In glaring head.
lines that the price OF cotton slumps
without Il reason being given for !,
nothing is thought Of II, because 1t
was understood by the cotton buyer
tnat 1t was the workings of the dam.
nable machine known as the cotton
exchange"
At this Juncture the speaker refer
red 10 the farmer In politics. The
farmers he said. have learned from.
past experience that they cant form
political parties. but they must take
hold OF the politics already in exist
ence and demand needed reforms.
Last year | was one of a delegat on
OF farmers sent TO Washington for
the purpose OF interesting congress
In the passage OF laws In the interest
OF the producer of farm products.
was told there that the railroad. tele-
phone companies and bankers had al
ways sent representatives To the capt.
tai looking to legislation benefitine
delegation OF farmers had came To
ask congress for something. went
mp into the balcony and looked down
upon tho representatives sent from
the different states in the union. and
counted 1876 men OF whom 3g5 were
lawyers and one poor little measly
farmer our delegation went before
the agricultural committee which was
composed wholly OF men who had new
er been in the south and who didn't
know a boil OF cotton from bird
egg, but they tod us that they had
learned more from our visit than
they ever knew before"
Mr Neill told how he had spent
the best OF his life In an effort to
stamp out the cotton gambler. He
explained the workings of the bucket
shops operated throughout the cou-
try, related incidents that he had
witnessed by the pit In New York
city. and told HIS steners how in
several crucial periods in the CONNER
cial history OF the country the farm
er had saved the day. lie told how
prices were made in New York city
hv Fictitious huyars and Sallars and