Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-06


watches and waits upon the farmer.
Agricultural schools and colleges, most
Of them grievously Intellectual. multi
ply. The nation and the individual
states maintain agricultural depart
ments devoted to his interests, bonn
harding him continually with bulletins,
advice and admonition. The newspa-
pers bristle with counsel to him. Pol
iticians, publicists and students en-
thuse and agoniZe over him from rOs-
trum and forum and legislative hall. 1t
can be stated In one sentence that the
finger Of the nation Is pointing today,
but in one direction-and that Is at the
figure of the man behind the plow. to
wnom they are looking to redeem them
from a sky -scraping cost Of living, and.
in a way, from the menace of unrest
that broods like a pail over many of
our cities.
1t Is a psychological moment of an
awakened conscience from one bOunda-
ry of America to another. We are
scoursing vandalism, graft and general
evil from politics. We are standing
more resolutely each day for a literal
Interpretation Of the doctrine of the
square deal" We are determined that
the people and not the politicians shall
rule. We are discovering that, after
all, the golden rule is not a beautiful
abstraction. but the most sensible and
business-like of realities. SO we are
substituting the neglect Of decades
meted to the farmer for concentrated
attention, and for the chronic misun-
derstanding of him an earnest effort
at understanding.
l think that, in an instrumental de-
gree, the Farmers Union is responsible
both for the awakened farmer.
and the awakened nation, as re-
CARDS the farmer. In the six years of
our national existence, we have stead
lily worked away upon the problem at
it's foundation-the home of the farmer.
the viewpoint of the farmer and, above
all, basing all our efforts upon a deep,
personal study of the farmer.
Growth of Organization.
Our principles and our way of apply
ing them must be sound, for we have
increased from less than fifty thousand
membership six years ago to a men,
bership today rising three million.
Throughout the southern states we are
we'll organized. In the middle west we
are formally organized and our men,
bers are rapidly growing. This year we
have perfected organization in several
Of the western and Pacific slope states.
and we shall soon invade New Eng
land
In the south we have succeeded in
obtaining for the farmer a reasonable
price for his backbone staple, cotton.
That means that we nave ministered In
every phase of southern commerce.
that we have laid every southerner un-
der obligations to us, for cotton is the
financial barometer OF the southern
states. In the middle west we are re-
In
scientific and equitable manner, wheat
and corn. In the far west we are ac-
complishing results in the systematic
ing of the fruit industry, and Of gen.
eral agricultural products.
The financial success Of our pro-
gramme Is important, but 1t is exceed
ed by our moral and intellectual prog
ress and evolution, which is reflected In
the forward status Of the American
farmer generally, for hold that organ
iZation among the farmers mas inevita-
bly, benefited every tiller Of the soil in
this country, whether or not he Is di-
rectly affiliated with the organization.
Through our national, state and local
organizations we have been persistent
ly preaching scientific agriculture, di-
versified agriculture. conservatism of
soil resources, rotation OF crops.
more liberal measures for popular edu-
cation, insisting that the fathers and
mothers of farm children should make
every sacrifice that their sons and
daughters might be better equipped for
the world fray than they were them
selves.
One Of our most signal triumphs. and
tremendously significant one, Is our
success in teaching interdependence. in
illustrating and persuading into being
the vitalizing forces of cooperation.
BY nature the most dependent of indi-
viduals, holding himself aloof from his
fellows. in love with his own opinion,
Jealous of undisputed command OF his
acres and resenting intrusion of new
and strange ideas, ie Is gradually
learning the value of abating these
qualities in favor of cooperation.
A Revolution Under Way.
He Is seeing that to the end. of intro
ducing business means OF marketing
his crop, of tilling his soil and Of reap
ing the benefits of civilization, he must
concede a little of that old, stubborn
independence, just as his neighbor con-
ceded a little of his independence.
He Is learning that united effort Is
invincble, while individual effort not
only fails invariably to aid the indi-
vidual, but that it may well work to the
prejudice of the interest OF the masses.
Our warehouse system in the south,
our warehouse and cooperative busi-
ness enterprises throughout the middle
and far west, are revolutioniZins the
viewpoint of the farmer. We have pro-
ceeded on the theory that farming was
as exact a profession as the law, med
icine or barter and trade, and that only
Co. ,At.
dealings upon business principles would
he get away from the lost motion, the
waste and the uncertainty that former
" characterized his history under the
hit-and- miss system Of farming.
But think quite the most important
indirect achievement Of the Farmers
Union is the success with which we are
inculcatin5 the doctrine that every
man is indeed his brothers keeper.
We have not secured a universal OBJ
servance of the doctrine, but ii is daily
making more impressive strides. And
to those who would deal with the far
mer, who would tighten the lot of the
farmer, | commend the idea that they
must plan and execute upon the basis
of the mutually of human obligations.
The Wider Viewpoint.
There is an education in the broader
sense than mere book learning. 1t is an
education that revolutiOnizes the view
point of the individual, by the thou
sands, wipes out old prejudices, eX-
punges ancient passions and substi-
tutes a mental angle that is fashioned
upon the thought and the experience CT
the day. And in this field we have been
strikingly successful. Five years ago,
If | may be permitted a personal Illus
trat.on, the majority sentiment of MEM
bers of the Farmers Union would have
decreed that | must spend the night IN
a day coach, stop DIT one Of the cheapest
hotels ana that | must be vigorously
careful in NY expense account, causing
myself discomfort to save a penny to
the order.
Today all that has changed. My
people know that to serve them effec-
tually must be comfortable. and that
| must appear to proper advantage be-
fore the world as the representative OF
the greatest agricultural organization
in history. Now | can put up at the
best hotels and spend any amount in
reason to further my own convenience
and promote the credit and welfare or
the organization.
| believe that this condition marks
an evolution the significance of which
will not be missed by the thoughtful