The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-11-26

why we have not made vaster strides
The perfection of national or inter
national organization is the most
arduous and gradual task ] a the range
of humanity's endeavors. might cite
two overshadowing organizations from
the industrial world as Illustrations;
The Standard Oil company and the
United States Steel corporation In
their way and in their peculiar
spheres they are models of organiza-
tion-at least the average citizen who
feels the effect of their force, will not
deny the fact.
Now the Farmers union has no de-
sire or intention to rival these over
reaching monopolies, but their match
less triumph of organization can teach
us something beneficial. We can
profit from the constructive lesson
they have to offer and reject the prac-
tises that have placed some of their
promoters upon an evil eminence in
this country.
Now, then-it took decades and de-
cades to perfect these two great or
ganizations-they begun first with
struggling and struggling groups At
various stages in their history they
were dealt blows that would have been
deadly had not the men behind been
actuated by fixed purpose and I'M
wagering courage.
Another thing-these two concerns
have always, or nearly always, had at
their disposal all the advantages af-
forded by unlimited capital and the
best order of trained brains in the
country.
Yet they have grown piecemeal. so
to speak, by process of evolution,
through infinite backsets and dis
couragements and panics. until today
they tand as the supreme embodi-
ments of organization.
The Farmers union has made prog
ress even more phenomenal than
these two organizations. and without
the advantage conferred by money,
for the reason that our guiding prin-
ciples have been righteous where
theirs have been those rising from
greed.
But on the side Of patience and of
the value and efficacy of organization,
and of the spirit that is willing to
wait for results, perfectly confident
Of ultimate success, they abound in
object lessons.
] want every member of the Farm
ers' union, however obscure. to re-
member we are building for tomorrow
as well as for today; for our child
ren's children as well as. for our.
selves; that we are laying a solid
foundation for the solving of prob
lens that will test American mettle
decades after we are dust.
look forward to the day when
every American farmer belongs to an
agricultural organization as one of the
brightest days in the history of this
country. It may not come in my time.
nor in the time of my children, but /
know it is destined, and that at the
rate the Farmers union is growing
we viii not have to wait an indefinite
number of years for the consumma-
ton.
Let us first concede that the farm
er is the most important element in
the national life Let US next eoncede
that he has been systematically neg
lected. in the way of legislation and
social viewpoint. since the founding
of the republic Let us next concede
that the day he is formed into one
compact, unanimous national organi-
cation he will be able to secure his
rights, to redress his wrongs and to
inject sanity and equity into the ma
TONS government in a degree that
has never been appropriated in Amer
lean history
These are some of the ends to
which we are working. While we la
Dor for the farmer, we labor for the
entire country, for the country is no
greater. no more prosperous. no more
moral or safe from canker of disin-
tegration than is its great rural popu.
Iation.