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

oring US no ~perceptible relief a lon,
as we are guilty of putting IN nna
..e our present suicidal mathad oe
marketing. 'ioo U
pest banking system the world
evei saw would not be a remedy for
oui own economic errors which We
% class, must correct for ourselves
on Tue water could be squeezed
ouI OF railroad stock and rates co,,ld
De secured on q basis of a fair Givi-
oenu on Inc physical y%aluatio of the
idllToad property. it would still leave
untouched and unsolved the
OF scientific and systematic distribu-
.ioh OF our products, which we alone
al SolVe through q cooperative
BUSINESS system owned and controlled
Wy 'nose whose personal interests are
directly affected.
1 make these references to the
comparative importance of political
ecohomlc questions and farmers bust
ness questions with no in
lehuon or Understanding the i'm
poflance OF those general economic
questions, but to emphasize The
greater Importance of handling our
own direct business interests success
iuliy nrough a reformed system of
marketing. Above everything else
We should demonstrate to the world
ina we can deal successfully with our
piObitiiS before We Dranch
out anu scatter our energies too
much IN an attempt to solve general
economic problems that effect the
country as a whole. One great fault
OF preceding farmers organizations
existed in the fact hat they wasted
TOO much energy and effort in trying
TO reform the whole country, instead
OF concentrating upon some feasible
business plan to reform their own
rulnous methods Of doing business.
Cnless we can first prove that we
have the intelligence to reform our
" business | don't think we will
make much impression as general re-
formers of the country, as a whole.
Besides, ii we don't deal SUGGEST ally
with the business part of farming so
that tangible benefits accrue to the
membership, We can never hope to
retain our membership by turning
aside too much to consider complex
political problems that effect us in
directly, and in many instances. very
remotely.
In looking about for danger signals
I don think it will be anaiss for me
to remind you that next year is the
first general political campaign year
that we will have reached since the
organization of the Farmers Union
in North Carolina. and to warn you
against the possible cor1uDting indu-
tAA\S IL 11Cy q okoI IN Z & h.o -
Union in some localities. There is
no danger except from the inside.
When q county or State official who
has been brought into prominence by
the Farmers Union decides to resign
and run for q political office upon the
strength Of the publicity which the
Farmers Union has given him, he Will
seriously cripple your organization.
unless you give him a deserved and
glorious defeat.
If we succeed at this meeting in
adopting a consolidated or federated
warehouse system of marketing ana
then concentrate all our energies and
efforts to make it 60, it will prove TO
be an epoch making period in the his
t ~ Of this splendid organization III
TINS State, and we Will be making his
tory that viii endure.
In nearly every country on eaTth,
the men who have titled the soil have
seen the ownership of their lands pass
into other hands and they have been
reduced to tenant slavery. Their
| were contributing causes, but the I'M
deriving cause existed in a marketing
system hat permitted the purchaser
to name the price instead OF the
seller Of farm products. The inc
| yitahIe ultimate result Of such d sys-
TEN is industrial slavery on h farm,
and absentee land ownership. 1t IS
| aDnalling to note how fast our lands
have passed, and are now passing
into the hands Of the classes who nave
| been fixing the prices of our pro
ducts.
To put into practice a reformed
system Of marketing should be the
predominating idea and the highest
ambition Of every loyal and patriotic
| member of the Farmers Union 10
no srre the task is a big one Il the
struggle will be a long one, with
hard and difficult places along the
way, Shall we shrink back like I'M
worthy and cowardly weaklings and
| say it can't be done, or will we brave
~ act the part OF fuIi grown men
ond haein the task? l say: Let's
begin it now.