The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-12

You must choose for ability and abil-
ity alone.
Then when you've found the right
man, You must sure der yourself.
your opinions. man, your So
called rights" and 81 ,depend-
ence to him absolutely sure
first that you've sele> 'ely,
otherwise your surrender 81. n
vain and the work will rel
backSet.
You may ask me for definition
ability. l reply. when you have a
product to handle, select man YOU
know is capable Of handling that
product and what's more of handling
the producers themselves.
1t is only when the man you choose
is incapable of handling both product
and produce that failure comes
Search back and you can trace every
backward step in the organization to
the absence of the man who can do
these two things.
The final test that you have picked
the right man is when that man can
and will make you do the right thing.
: Give him time and make human al
lowances for him when he starts out.
You expect him to give you a square
deal. Give him one! Then if, after
you've both had square deal he
falls down. or betrays YOU. or is
unwilling to offer up his blood on the
altar OF your welfare-get another
man.
Securing the right leader is. after
all, a matter, of cooperation. which
is one of the principles of our creed.
Cooperation between the man chosen
and the members He must rem en-
Der that he is not chosen to bulldOze
you. and to impose his will on you
Gnduly, or to use You for his ad-
tv,A CT
plv as a means for making meat and
bread. The man who aspireS to lead
his local or his State, or an enter
prise in either, and who views his
job simply as one to keep the wolf
! from the door. has mistaken his call
ing. His motive must be higher
nobler, more sacrificing than that.
On your own side. the side Of the
! m lem Der, the obligation of co-opera-
ton is equally compelling. You may
not like a leader personally. but you
are unfaithful to your oath if you
in wise policies. Success in the
Farmers Union is not matter OF
personal likes or dislikes 1t is the
triumph Of the good Of the cause,
and that means that under every
condition spite envy and malice must
be subordinated to the progress and
welfare of the idea back of this
| organization.
l rejoice that our people increas-
| ingly realize the truth of these prin-
| cipleS and that their efforts are con-
| stantly directed toward first finding
| then upholding the correct brand of
leaders. But / am SO absorbed in the
| permanent success Of this organiza-
| ton that / want that condition to
| rule universally. and wherever our
| work is organized. [ look about me
| in every religious, every industrial,
| every commercial and political direc-
| tion whether in our own time or a
| thousand years ago-and l see that
/ the success of every great NOV cement t
/ is founded upon the efforts of g.
/ few conscientious, devoted and capa
| BILE leaders. l have discovered that
! that is the secret of success wher
ever large bodies of men are con-
! cerned. It is emphasized by the
| farmer, for the reason that the con-
| ditions under which he lives are like
| those governing no other class OF
| people in history
A leading principle the Farmers
Union leader must bear in mind is
that he is chosen, chiefly. to secure
| a scientific. profitable marketing OF
| the products of the farmer We all
believe in country fairs, in good
roads, in swamp drainage. in every
issue that pertains to the welfare of
/ the country But the members of this
organization is paying his money for
men who can develop the force and
| skill to place his products on the
market at an equitable price. Re
/ member, this is your first duty. II
you have any time left. if you do
| this work correctly-you can sand
wich in licks for these other things
But the first obligation Is for the
principles which were i'm the minds