The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-11-25
SOLVE THE RURAL PROBLEM
President Barrett Points Out Ways IN
Which Farmer Can improve Con"
ditions by Cooperation.

".
TO the Officers and Members OF the
Farmers Union:
l have pointed out upon several re-
cent occasions that the organized
farmer is facing the most progressive
era in American history, and that the
keynotes of this era were to be those
of business methods and of genuine
cooperation.
There is but one way to hasten and
make National the benefits Of that
step forward--and that is in every
farmer in America, whether or not
he Is affiliated with the Farmers
Union, constituting himself mission
airy for the improvements OF cond1-
tons In his own locality.
The soundest thinkers in America
are agreed that the rural problem is
the greatest one today facing the
country, and that upon its proper
solution must depend largely the safe
guarding of prosperity and Of ad-
vanceIlent.
Each farm in America presents a
rural problem today. Every farmer
in America, whether the Lord of 1000
acres, or the poorest "cropper" in the
southern states, must be an individual
solver of that problem as 1t applies
to himself and to his friends and his
families.
For though the National govern
ment and philanthropists and con
scientious publicists may spend mil
lions in the country districts, their
united efforts will be futile unless the
individual farmer goes about the work
of betterment as though he were re-
sponsible for the whole job.
Let that creed be adopted as a ma
tional slogan, and the next ten years
will see rural America offering les
sons and models in prosperity and
living conditions to every nation un
der the sun.
To promote this end, it is indis
,
pensable that every farmer should
make up his mind to the fact, ant
act UPON it, that he Is his brother:
keeper.
First, look about improving thu
] lot of your own family, for better
ment like charity always begins a
, home. Then when you have adopted
such methods as will make your lant
return maximum of its products
when you have introduced scienc
r instead of guess work, and given tn
s squarest sort of deal in recreation
Q education, refinement, and socla
: pleasures to your wife and children
: you can turn to and help your neigh
Dor With his burden.
4 Don't get too easily out of patienc
y with the man next door, whom yo
may think Is a quarrelsome, confer
tious fellow. Bear with him, mayb
u his pessimism and sour looks are du
. to conditions you can help to remove
s. Anyway, don't forget that ever
y y growler in a community, every knoc]
!, er or back-biter, is standing in tn
y way OF progress not only for hin
= self, but for yourself, your wife an
- y. your family.
:. II you insist upon more and bette
- :, schools, more and better roads, NOR
y. ~ and better social facilities and soci'
y organizations, and increasing Of tn
- - rural free delivery service, more war
=, houses for the storing of your co
= ton, more cooperative farmers ente
~ prises of every nature, and do vol
20 share In getting them, others will
- led to follow the same program.
II If you see that only competent an
/. faithful officials are chosen to a
!, minister the public business Of 20,
% community you will be building 8
. addition to the superstructure Of &c
~ eral advancement.
These things I have outlined ms
u be trifle difficult for you to unde
4 take, if you have been going alo1
g on the theory that progress TAX
care Of itself and that you have !
. personal responsibility in the pref
- Uses.
10 But I promise that only as eve
y farmer in America views the soluti'
If Of the little problem at his door as
~ part Of his own business, will Il
We country population of this count
~ reach those improved conditions up
va which the highest destiny Of this +
$? ton depend.-Texas Farm Cooper
NJ. tor.
an