The farmer and mechanic., 1909-09-14

America, every large and every little
business in America. pays money and
pays it liberallY for the best brains
to conduct it successfully.
Can the farmer. who produces
more business than any set Of men in
America, afford to adopt less sensible
means? Can ne afford to ignore the
principle that the laborer is worthy
Of his hire and then expect to sue
ceed like the great organized interests
and bodies all around him?
Not a SI>irfnish, But War.
Another thing l think needs to be
Impressed upon every member of the
Farmers Union, whether official or
not, and hat is that we have all en-
listed for the war. not for one battle
or for one campaign. Great reforms.
revolutionary crusades are never con-
Simmated quickly, and the ends of
the Farmers Union, contem plating as
they do, equalzing ultimately the last
wrong, the smallest inequality under
which the producer suffers; contem-
plating the development of the farmer
until he is able to battle for his rights
political, economic and Industrial on a
plane with every other element of
! population, can not be materialiZed
| overnight.
We have had backsets in the past,
and we must expect them in the fu-
ture. We have had backslders in the
past and few disloyal, indolent
brethren We must expect a small
percentage of these in the months and
years to come AS long as human ma
/ ture exists, we must make up our
minds to encounter these things.
/ But the man who is dissatisfied
and wants to leave the union because
it does not achieve its every object in
10 mo &c
never have Joined in the first place.
We are working with great principles
and We are sure Of success as we
are sure that the sun will rise tomor-
row. But we must expect to be COM
PEELED to fight inch by inch, to under
go hardship, to sustain temporary de-
feat, to even endure betrayal here and
there in our own ranks before the task
we have set ourselves begins to as
sumo its completed dimensions. Pa
tience and courage win more battles
) than mere bril1iance, than oratoTy or
) than fine promises. When you begin
to regard your duty to the Farmers
, Union as obligation that ceases
only with your death, then you will
have laid the foundation for the ac-
mpliShment of those things lying in
, our forward pathway
Mr.. Barrett closed with a strong
tribute to the national secretary, ma
. tional board Of directors and State Of
ficers for their aid and encouragement
, during his term of office He said that
5 during the past three years he had
5 spent only 100 days at home, an aver
age Of a little more than one month
5 in each year. The rest Of the time
he was travelling over the country on
) official business He said in conclu-
) sion:
These privations I have gladly un-
, dergone; willingly I have battled with
| fatigue, refreshed, made strong, helped
to endure by the knowledge Of the
, love and confidence of the millions
of men today out yonder in the fur
, rows the millions Of men today feed
ing and clothing this nation, the teem-
| ing army looking to US for assistance
, and for guidance.
And often, as I have Travelled in
the still watches Of the night, no
sound but the rumbling wheels under
me, no company but my tired thoughts
) lying wide-eyed and wakeful, l have
: seen a vision / have seen the vision
) of debt banished from the farms Of
this nation. I have seen a vision Of
| poverty, Of the torn dress Of the moth
er, the thin body of the child, obliter
: ated by the magic Of wellWon pros
perity. I have seen a vision of the
: curse of ignorance banished, giving
! place to school houses on every hill
, top giving the men and women of to-
! morrow the golden l>eys to a useful
and productive life. 1 have seen 4
;, vision of wrongs righted of oppres
sion crushed under the heel of equity
: and truth. I have seen a vision Of
peace and plenty and smiling content
rnent resting like blessing over the
home Of the humblest farmer in this
+ broad country l have seen a vision
of the mighty army, vaster and more
wonderful than the hosts Of the
Israelites as they marched in triumph
from the dominion of Pharaoh, going
+ from strength to strength. from con-
+ quest to conquest, and upon the ban
! ners Of that army. flashing in letters
Of fire was the emblem of the
, Farmers Educational and Co-opera-