The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-08-20
THE FARMERS UNION
SPLENDID Growth Of the Movement
In Seven Years.
PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION.

II Aims 10 Establish Justice and Sys-
..r,atize Methods Of Production and
Distribution - Brief History Of
G-es; U-ior.
NOS re5r.e wi. lie surprised to find
.-4 sx-s-. g. which organization has
-se- -.--.5-. ey the National Farmers
r-s-- although the alliance Of the
sons u the soil has been growing for
years through several national asso-
Citations The membership is about
100000.
Charles Simon Barrett, president OF
the Farmers union, has written his
tory of the great American organiza-
ton of farmers. which has grown
to its present proportions since 1907.
Mr.. Barrett comments upon the difficult
ties encountered by all who attempt to
organize farmers. The farmer, to be-
gin with" says Mr.. Barrett, SIS not
an adept in business of any sort. Cen
turtles of isolation and oppression have
warped his commercial instincts and
narrowed his mental horizon. He has
not the genius for cooperation pos
sessed by the business man. This he
has yet to realize, and he must be
made to realize by Touchdown and
drag-out lessons its Indispensable ne
cessity."
Yet the impossible is being accom-
pllshed In the little town of Emory,
Tex, in the year 1902 ten men met to-
gether at various times and discussed
the methods Of formulating rules and
plans by which the laboring masses
might be allowed a voice in the pricing
of their farm products From this
meeting Of few plain men the Texas
union was formed Credit as the
founder of the Farmers union is given
to Newt Gresham of Texas. an indie
| fatigable worker for the good Of farm
ers, who was long identified with the
! Farmers alliance as one Of the or
ganiZers of that association.
From local and state unions the or
ganization has grown to be a national
union, holding annual conventions and
| gathering into its fold an aggregation
of between 100000 and 100000
members.
The most striking feature Of this
great organization is the fact that its
membership is made up Of employers
and employees. No line is drawn sep
arating the farm owner, operator or
laborer, but all are received in the
Farmers union on one broad platform
Of mutual aims and interests. Recog-
nizing that the good of all is the
good of the individual, the Farmers
union in democratic fashion labors
for the greatest good for the greatest
number
The Farmers union works along the
most practical lines. There have been
four great national meetings, the first
being held in Texarkana in 1905 and
the convention of 1906 at the same
place. In 1907 the national meeting
was at Little Rock. Ark. and in 1908
at Fort Worth, Tex, where President
Gompers appeared. Besides the an
nual meetings of the national union,
several important conventions have
been held. One in January, 1907. In
Atlanta, Ga, was called as a grand
national rally. At Memphis, Tenn,
the same year convention of the
Farmers union was held for the pur
pose of devising ways and means by
which the cotton then held by the
membership of the union might be
sold advantageously.
The purpose and principles of the
Farmers union as enunciated in Its
constitution afford material for an In
teresting study. 1t declares the fol
lowing purposes:
ITO establish justice.
ITO secure equity.
ITO apply the Golden Rule.
ITO discourage the credit and mort
gage system.
ITO assist members in buying ant
selling.
ITO encourage the agricultural elias
in scientific farming.
"To teach farmers the classification
Of crops, domestic economy and tn
process of marketing.
ITO systematic methods of produc
ton and distribution.
ITO eliminate gambling in farm
products by boards of trade, cottol
exchanges and other spectators.