Pocahontas star herald., 1910-03-04
T FARMERS' UNION HAS
DONE GREAT WORK
A Mighty Influence has been Brought
to bear in the Development
of the South

The Farmers Union has lived to
vindicate itself. 1t has disproved
the predictions of those who ex-
pected to see it wrecked on the
shoals of politics. Studlously
avoiding the reefs which were al
ready written on the charts of its
predecessors, its captains have
steered their craft safely and surely
until it has become one of the great
vessels on the sea of American COM
merce.
Politics caused the death of the
Wheel, the Grange and many other
farmers organizations, but the
leaders of the Farmers Union have
wisely never permitted politics to
have any place IN its policies. They
have stood for the things that are
for the up.building of the Ameri-
can farmer, and for the past few
years they have put especial empha
sis upon three factors which are of
the greatest economic value to him.
They are, in order of their import
ance Scientific Agriculture, Good
Roads, Reclamation of Swamps and
| Wet Lands.
Through the efforts and co.opera
tion of this organization, Arkansas
in particular and the South in gener-
al are well on their way toward an
educated, intelligent and business
like system of farming. Agricul-
ture has become a part of the curri
culum of the rural schools; it is
taught in the State Normal School
and the State University, and it
will be taught in four state schools
devoted solely to agriculture. These
are some of the means through
which the youth of Arkansas will
learn the "new frrming." But we
are not waiting for the next genera
E ton to put these advanced ideas
and principles into execution.
Throughout the South today, hun
, dreds of thousands of farmers are
learning, through the demonstra'
tion farm plan, how to make two
ears of corn, and two bolls of cot.
ton grow where only one grew be
fore.
The movement for good roads is
going forward with a momentum
that will never again be permitted
to stop. For the past decade much
legislation, some good, and some
bad, has been enacted for the pur-
pose of building and improving our
public roads. Out of this movo-
ment, which has been fostered and
encouraged by the Farmers Union,
will certainly come ways and means
that will eventually give Arksnsas
a network of permanent highways.
The drainage movement is also in
its infancy, Millions of acres of
the most fertile land in the world
are now either covered with water
or are too wet for cultivation. Iu-
dlyidual effort has already reclaim
ed some of this land, but what has
been done is only a small fraction
Of what can be done by united ef.
fort upon the part of the land own
ers and the United States and state
governments.
Recognizing these facts, Presi-
dent Taft cordially invited a dele
CATION of the Arkansas Farmers
Union to call on him and discuss
the drainage work in Arkansas, and
when they arrived in Washington
they did not need the introduction
of senators and representatives to
secure audiences with the president,
vice president, speakers of the
house and others of the nations
highest officials. The story of their
work had gone before them.
Under the leadership of such
forces as the Farmers Union, the
southern farmer has great future.
As education has, in less than Is
years, brought the poverty-stricken,
debt-ridded Kansas farmer to a
position of wealth and independence