Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-09-08
GREATEST NEED OF
FARMERS UNION, SAYS BARRETT
In Address in Oklahoma President Barrett Urges Farmers to
Choose Efficient Leaders and Cooperate With Them
Farmers Union Never In Better Shape Than Now

is the address of President Charles s.
Barrett, delivered at the annual con-
vention of the Farmers union here Tues
day:
cat a day when the Farmers Educa-
tional and Cooperative union is more
powerful than at any time in its ex-
istence, it gives me pleasure and pro-
found pride to greet its representatives
in annual convention assembled. You
are the authorized spokesman for the
most important farmers organization
in all history You gather at a time
when we can view battles won, and bat
ties yet to be won, in a degree that Is
new in the annals of the producers of
any nation. l am sure you share with
me mighty thrIl as we look backward
upon the long. and hard road we have
Travelled and the obstacles we have over
come; and that, with me, you feel no
less a call to action when we consider
the problems yet unsolved by the Amer
lean farmer.
STRONGER THAN EVER.
During the past year, and especially
during the past summer, have visited
personally all the important state or
CARNATIONS and all the state conven-
tions And / come to you with the mes
sage that the Farmers union is strong
er. better drilled in discipline, in finer
financial condition and more inspired
with the stern enthusiasm Of sacrifice'
of brotherly love and of cooperation
than since that never-to-b e-forgotten day
when Newt Gresham launched its first
great principles. States that were pre-
viously Indifferent or laggard, are go
ing forward by great strides. State
treasures that once suffered lack of
funds are being placed upon solid
basis. Everywhere-north, south, east
and west-the farmer Is waking to the
opportunity and the duty Oh aff1liating
with his brethren, and is learning the
true meaning of the creed to which he
subscribes when he takes the obngation
of membership.
I'VE have accomplished all, thus far,
that the reasonable man could expect
and much more than our secret enemies
and the pessimists hoped. We stand
upon a record that no similar organiza-
ton has remotely approached And
bring to you the further important mes
sage that America is so Takened to the
significance of our movement that limit
less financial assistance will be at our
disposal, the moment we bring this or
ganization to the high state of perfec-
ton it is now rapidly approaching. The
day may come this year, or next year,
when the member of this order will find
himself backed by such large capital and
so many resources as to remove his last
wavering doubt as to the country's APP
probation of the role of the producer, so
long neglected.
"As an instance of the national attitude
toward our cause, 1t is a pleasure to
report that more than 1920 papers print
regularly the statements issued from ma
tional headquarters. Each mail brings
requests from more publications to be
placed upon our mailing list. And | am
in receipt of inquiries regarding our
ckf1 oII
every country in civilization. tell you
this, that you may realize the momentum
this movement has attained, and the
grave responsibility resting upon all of
us to see that in no wise do we betray
or disappoint the trust the nation and
the world begin to repose in our mis-
sion.
LEADERSHIP GREATEST NEED.
THE greatest need OF the American
farmer today, whether within or without
this organization. is effectual leadership.
know that for the so-caIled rural prob
lem there are a thousand and one rene
dies and solutions suggested, some OF
them good, some absurd and some abso-
lutely vicious IN intent and principle.
None of them touch. the core OF the stu
alton. We need not remedies but leaders,
Give US proper leaders in every state, !
and we shall soon find the remedies, and
apply them. The machinery for reform,
for progress and prosperity; the great
est plans outlined by the brains of the
most accomplished experts; capital iE I'M
measured proportion, are all at our dis |
posal. All that Is lacking is leaders to |
administer and keep administering the |
great and the little details that underlie
the welfare of so mighty an organiza- |
ton. go
some of us think we need more en- |
thusiasm, more plans, higher or lower |
dues, constitutional amendments, to go /
into politics, to let politics severely |
alone. All these considerations are more |
or less vain We do not need prescrip-
tons We need doctors to see that the
patients take the prescriptions and keep |
on taking them.
SUCCESS DEPENDS ON LEADERS.
''If you ask me the proof of these
statements, / point you to the history of /
every farmers organization that has
been born, risen to dizzy heighth in
some instances, and then fallen to an
inglorious death. Whose was the fault
in every case? That of the leaders. The
wheel, the Farmers alliance, they are
the mighty powers that once made the
nation tremble? You know they are not.
Selfish leadership. cowardly leadership,
inefficient leadership is responsible.
know as well as any one else that the
alliance had some splendid, unselfish
leaders. But there were not enough of
them to save the organization
you ask me my definition OF a leader
and 1 will tell you little story. |,
few weeks ago I had occasion to ask a 4
leader in a certain state why an enter
prise, for which he was supposed to be
responsible, had failed. He answered:
Well, I worked like fire for the darn
fools. and stood a lot from them but,
by George, 1 reached the point where
wasn't going to let them rub 1t in
That's the point. The successful lead
er of the farmer has got to make up his
mind, In the first place, that the farmer