Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-02-24
FARMERS NEED MEN
WHO HAVE COURAGE
TO MAKE NEW TRAIL
President Barrett, of National
Union, Declares That the
Country Needs to Take Hold
of New Advantages
Especial Dispatch to The Journal.)

Especial Dispatch to The Journal)
UNION CITY. Ca. Feb 22.-Trail blaz-
ers. with the courage to seize the oppor-
tunity for newer and better methods is
the main need of the country so Presi-
dent Charles 8. Barrett of the National
Farmers union, declares in a statement
issued today to the members of the
union. His statement follows in FULL
To the, Officers and Members of the
Farmers" Union: One of the most diff
cult things in the world is to do things
a little differently from your neighbors
and yet that is among the first of the
needs in the country life OF America to-
day. The life of the city is different
from that of the country. There the
quickening influence of growth and CIV
ilization accelerate development, coop
Grafton is involuntary and there is less
need for a large number Of leaders.
LIVES IN A RUT."
In the country the problem is more
complicated The average farmer lives
the year around in rut. Many of his
customs he has inherited from his father
Others he copies from his neighbors. AS
a result life proceeds from one years
end to another with not one-tenth de-
gree of the progress witnessed in the
city, into which is all the time pour
ing new ideas and new influences.
To illustrate, II has been the custom
for decades in the country to squabbie
over land lines, over differences In re-
Iigious opinion. etc. 1t has been Gus
tom hery and there to indulge in that
baneful neighborly gossip which does no
one any good and does everybody con-
cerned an infinite amount of harm. One
community may have the one-horse
habit where 1t should have the two
horse habit One county may be stick
ing to old inherited methods Of agri-
culture. when 1t needs modern, scientific
methods. One county may need more
schools, or better teachers, or longer
terms anl more teachers.
One community-in fact, thousands of
them I'm this country-forfeits each year
to the city a great many more of its
young men and women than it can af-
ford There Is a way to keep these
young men and women at home and to
invest In the country the energy that
brings dividends in the city.
Now, I suggest that il you what to
write yourselves down as benefactor
TO your fellows, that you get out and
start doing some of these things that the
rest Of your neighbors are too lazy. too
blind. or too busy to do or see.
One wideawalxe, energetic, self-sacriic-
ing man in a county can accomplish
wonders. The results may not be APP
parent at once, but If the task is fol-
lowed with patience and persistence, they
are sure. in the long run.
In the oiden days when this conn
Try was a wilderness, II took the hardest
sort OF courage for men 70 be pioneers.
It taxes as much or more courage of
another sort to be pioneer In our civ
ilized age, when it comes to starting the
task OF upbuilding In our country dis
trlcts The man who launches 1t is go
ing to run up against enough snags and
discouragements and ridicule and indif-
ference to make him feel that he Is
wearing crown of thorns.
But in the end he win triumph and be
rewarded by the crown OF gold that
comes from the gratitude of his awak-
ened friends and neighbors.
For the mass Of the farmers are not
so unreasonable or unresponsive, after
all. Once shown the right way and once
convinced that a man is trying since
" TO benefit their condition, their graf
itudei is decidedly worth the having.