The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1911-03-03
FOUNDER OF FARMERS UNION
Newt Gresham's Name VIII Be Re
corded in History as One of the
Greatest Men of Country.
tBy G. H. ALFORD)


Oh America, the best organization for
farmers that the world has ever
known
Inc corner stone of this organiza-
1on is education. Nearly three hun
dred years ago, Lord Bacon. the father
OF philosophy, expressed his idea of
the value OF an education in the SEN
tence, knowledge is power" and
since that time the greatest minds of
all nations have accepted his idea and
acted upon it. 1t is true that we must
Toll; but our minds must be trained to
think or our toll will be in vain
ours is business of action and it al
SO business Of thought as thinking
trlumphs over action, the amount of
manual labor requisite to secure equal
results constantly lessons No amount
OF knowledge will come amiss, for in
no other business Is such variety Of
questions presented for decision. 1t
is impossible for man to secure max
lnum results as farmer without thor
ough mental training and special
study. We must take the advice Of
our great leader and shake off the stu
por which has SO long impeded our
progress and work not only with our
hands, but also our heads.
Humanity is today rapidly entering
upon grand revolution whose battles
Will be fought with brain power. To
the well informed. 1t Is evident that
we, as class, are unfit to enter this
conflict in which brain power will be
the mighty giant that will crush the
ignorant millions Newt Gresham
could conceive of but one way to check
the power of demagogues, parasites,
and harmful corporations and that was
to SOW the seeds of sounder thinking
and higher learning among the farm
ers
Yes, we will take his most excellent
advice. We will see to 1t that our
members and their children are edu-
Gated, then the labor that Is now
thrown away to cultivate four or five
acres TO obtain what one will produce
Will make US rich in a few years;
trainloads after trainloads of the nee
Cooai iCS vi ilit Will lGdNt INSTEAD OF
entering our borders one farmer by
the use of strong teams and labor-sav-
ing farm implements will till as much
land as is now titled by two or three
farmers, our cotton money will be
kept at home and deposited in our own
banks and the rate of interest forced
down TO say five per cent
Newt Gresham said in stating the
objects and aims of this organization,
Let us first discourage as much as pos
sible the present mortgage and credit
system" He hit the bulls eye every
time. The credit system unblushingly
sweeps the earnings of toll from the
masses into the Golfers of the few. 1t
substitutes voluntary for involuntary
servitude, ownership by agreement,
and poverty by contract for the own
ership by birthright and government
by proprietary right. 1t is the curse
of the south. 1t is the black plague
of the cotton belt. 1t is keeping the
farmers of the south in slavery and
whipping us numerically. Its whip is
as cruel and merciless as the lash Of
the slave driver.
Many thousands of our wives and
children toll in the heat and cold from
sun-up till shutdown from one years
end to another, without recreation or
pleasure, to grow and gather large
crop of cheap cotton. not only to pay
for goods bought at a reasonable prof
II. but fifty, seventy five, and one-hun-
dred per cent. is often added as credit
profits-princely profits added to the
price OF high priced bacon, lard, corn,
mules, and other products that we can,
not afford to accept as free gifts. Oh,
what terrible sufferings and disap-
pointments come to the hearts of these
over-worked wives and children, when
at the end Of each year they fall far
short of the necessities, and are de.
MED the Injuries of life. This is a dis
grace to our civilization.
Now let us not blame the merchants
We deserve all of the censure The
too exclusive culture of cotton has
forced the price far below an equitable
one and established the credit system
AS long as we raised everything neces-
sary for home consumption and some
to spare, there was no necessity for
the credit system. The too exclusive
culture of cotton marked the dawning
of the era of the supply merchant, and
low priced cotton.
call upon you to say, l know not
what course other farmers may pur-
sue, but as for me, free me from the
credit system or let me starve.
~ oporofiop in Io,aIo