Pocahontas star herald., 1911-07-28
WEAPON FOR FARMERS UNION
w.'l wa'oh Can Never Hope to
"'e'd Any influence in World
Without Cooperation.

SS-SpSIdAlO0s
ime is swiftly passing by and as
II uoes history is being made, and I
leai Il The history of the Farmers
ulion could be written in detail it
Wouiu not show up as well as the
M Enthusiastic of us would prefer,
WIS M F. Dickinson in the Co
Operator How many locals as a whole
wouiu come up with clean record
OF obedience to the orders of the
union leaders? Yet who would for
one minute argue against not merely
'ne Importance" but the necessity"
oil cooperation?
Imagine If you can what the effects
would have been in 1907 had Charles
o barrett Immediately after the or
der mad gone out to the bankers of
lhe country from their chief banking
mogul in New York to hold your mon.
ey N their banks, given out a similar
oruer 10 the membership Of this great
Farmers Organization to hold every
pound OF meat, lard, butter, etc, every
Dusnel OF wheat, corn, potatoes and
nee 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-
Vloed the farmers of the country had
opeyed this order of their chief as the
bankers did their New York chief.
But, sad though it is to acknowledge,
Charlie Barrett knew the order would
not be obeyed and hence he did not
send II 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
er 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 no
uce Seeing that we we're not only
abk 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
atiVe 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 tC
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, withou
cooperation the union is worth moth
ing 1t can never hope to WELD an.
fh\ence either at home or abroad
- Its own membership or the bus
HeSs- world without this cooperation
What preparations are being mad
in your neighborhood or county to &C
operate with the union this year
Have you made any arrangements t
assist those who are not able to d
as they would like to? If not, VIII
not? Have you arranged to handl
their distressed cotton by financing
for them? You can do so if you hav
not already done so. Have you mad
any arrangements to handle their col
ton seed, chickens, eggs, butter, etc
for them? If so, you may well expec
their cooperation with you. But bC
fore you expect anything done you
the leaders in your county must hav
some tangible plan to handle thei
stuff ready to put into operation-nc
some impracticable dream.
Now, if your leaders have these a
rangements made are you, the men
bers of the union, going to co-Operat
together, thus guaranteeing the su,
cess of their plans this year? The
have a right to expect you to do 81
In recent ruling of President Charlie
S. Barrett he says any member VIII
refuses to obey the orders Of tn
union can be suspended or expelle
from the order. But no one desire
to do this. AS you very well know
this would not attain the ends desiret
We need you in the organization, an
you should patronize the institution
Of the order.
want to impress on each and ever
member the importance of working t
gether. Cooperation is our weapo
Agricultural knowledge.