The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-14
FARMERS UNION OFFICERS.

freSiuent Barrett PlcadS with Men,
bers TO Choose Officers with Care
During the Coming Elections, Gives
The Proper Requirements and Asks
Them TO Give Each Officer a
Square Deal"
To the officers and members. Of the
Farmers Union:
During the month Of December the
membership will elect thousands Of
officers. Upon the thought and care
with which these officers are selected
will largely depend the progress. the
maintenance and the efficiency Of the
Farmers Union during the forth
coming year.
We have, at present, more efficient
and faithful officers in the Farmers
Union than at any previous time in it's
history. But we have not enough of
them yet. And / want you to closely
consider what L am going to say, with
the object of putting in officers this
far forward on its great mission.
In the first place, 1t is we'll to take
warning by the great farmers organi-
zation that preceded ours-the Far
mers' Alliance. The Alinance went to
pieces. largely. because of it's officers.
They were elected too quickly. with
out the proper analysis, and more for
their handshaking ability and their
capacity for jollying than for their
qualities of leadership.
A great many Of the Alliance Off
cials were those who went In solely to
use the order for their own purposes.
Pretending to be NJ oses fit to lead the
farmers out of the wilderness, they
played upon their passions. arrayed
class against class. rode into office
and then left the organization DISRUPT
ed and on the rocks.
In the Alliance. as in politics and
In the Farmers Union. farmers have
voted for what they did not want, and
they usually got 1t. 1t is time to stop
this practice. I have seen you elect
to office within the Union some of the
most progressive, most intelligent and
best business men in the country, and
again have seen you choose some Of
the biggest hypocrites and grandess
rascals.
Many OF the men you have elected
to office In the past have thanked you
for the honor. then gone on
home and forgot absolutely about
your business.
Many times / have. seen you elect
officers amid scenes Of wild enthusi-
asm. the singing of songs, the shaking
Of hands. and the pledge of your ever
lasting support-then you would
hardly hitch the horse up at home be-
fore you would begin to put the same
officer out Of commission.
Either by neglecting them. or ig-
noring their orders or believing gos-
sip you heard about them. you have
put out of business the majority OF
m n elected to office In this organiza-
ton. The main reason 1 am hoping
is that you are gradually stopping the
practice, and now i am sitting up
with you to put the brakes on still
more.
Just let some fellow. for his own
reasons. intimate that there Is some
thing dead up the branch. and imme-
diately you can see thousands Of dead
animals come floating down. You
couldn't be induced to go up and see
If there really was anything dead. You
knew II was so anyhow because you
Joined looking for something of the
kind and were not satisfied until 1t
happened-or until you thought 1t
happened.
The thing to do Is to elect a man to
Office upon his record and his ability,
instead OF his knack Of jollying you
and asking after Nancy and the kids
and wading through bitches to shake
your hand. Once you get a good man
in. give him a fair and square show
ing before you begin complaining. 1
don't mean by a fair and square show
ing to stop watching him, but not to
nail him the first little mistake he
makes. and join the yelping crew at
his back, II his record otherwise Is
good. The trouble Is. too often In the
past, you threw stumbling blocks in
the way Of your officers at the first op-
portunity. and some OF you have not
been slow to make the opportunity.
1t is more diffi1llt to fiji an Office
In the Farmersf Union that in any
other organization. Farmers have
been ridden so often by pretended
friends until they have their doubts
A.