The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-05-12
9
WEAPON FOR FARMERS UNION
Organization Can Never Hope TO
Weld Any Influence In World
Without Cooperation.

Time Is swiftly passing by and as
it does history is being made, and l
fear If the history of the Farmers
union could be written in detail II
would rot show up as well as the
more enthusiastic of us would PREFER
writes M. F. Dickinson in the Co
Operator. How many locals as Whole
would come up with a clean record
Of obedience to the orders of the
union leaders? Yet who would FOR
one minute argue against not merely
the importance" but the necessity
of cooperation?
Imagine if you can what the effects
would have been in 1907 had Charles
S. Barrett, Immediately after the Or
der had gone out to the bankers OF
the country from their chief banking
mogul in New York to hold your mon
ey in their banks, given out a similar
order to the membership OF this great
farmers organization to hold every
pound of meat, lard, butter, etc., every
bushel of wheat, corn, potatoes ana
rice; In fact, every article of farm
products then in their hands.
Who doubts for one minute that
the banks OF the country would have
been thrown open before the follow
ing Wednesday night? That is, pro-
vided the farmers of the country had
obeyed this order of their chief as the
bankers did their New York chief.
But, sad though 1t Is to acknowledge,
Charlie Barrett knew the order would
not be obeyed and hence he did not
send 1t out.
But many have co-operated together
and this cooperation has shown re-
suits. To illustrate: In the early days
of our organization the business world
would not deal with US at all. They
looked upon US as trespassers on the
rights of others, without the business
sense to do any kind Of business 9TH
err than raise corn or cotton. But by
cooperation we were able in many To-
calities TO control so much business
that they begin to sit up and take nc
tice. Seeing that we were not only
able to conduct a business, but that
we were actually doing it regardless
of the ban which had virtually been
placed upon us, they began soliciting
our business. Last year our manager
tried many cotton oil companies be-
fore he found one that would let US
buy seed for them. This year several
different companies tried to get our
business.
The manager Of one of our cooper.
alive stores told me that when they
first organized he made a trip to st.
Louis to buy groceries, but upon ar
rival there found that only one whole
sale grocery company was willing to
sell to him. Now they are all anxious
to do business with him. And SO runs
the history of our business expert
ences.
Now, seriously, brethren, without
cooperation the union is worth moth
ing. 1t can never hope to WELD any
influence either at home or abroad,
with it's own membership or the bust
ness world without this cooperation.
What preparations are being made
in your neighborhood or county to CO.
operate with the union this year?
Have you made any arrangements to
assist those who are not able to do
as they would like to? If not, why
not? Have you arranged to handle
their distressed cotton by financing it
for them? You can do so if you have
not already done so. Have you made
any arrangements to handle their cot.
ton seed, chickens, eggs, butter, etc.,
for them? If so, you may we'll expect
their cooperation with you. But be.
fore you expect anything done you
the leaders in your county must have
some tangible plan to handle their
stuff ready to put into operation-not
some impracticable dream.
Now, il your leaders have these ar
rangements made are you, the mem
bers of the union, going to cooperate
together. thus guaranteeing the sue
cess of their plans this year? They
have right to expect you to do so
In a recent ruling of President Charles
S. Barrett he says any member who
refuses to obey the orders of the
union can be suspended or expelled
from the order. But no one desires
to do this. AS you very we'll know
this would not attain the ends desired
We need you in the organization, anl
you should patronize the institutions
of the order.
lwant to impress on each and every
member the importance of working to
gether. Cooperation is our weapon
Il