The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-03-18
FOUNDER or FARMERS, UNION
Newt Grssham's Name Will Be Re
corded in History as One Of the
Greatest Men of Country.
tBy G. Il. ALFORDl

OF the greatest men Of this country.
It was he who founded the Farmers
Educational and Cooperative Union
OF America, the best organization for
farmers that the world has ever
known
The corner stone of this organiza-
ton is education. Nearly three hun
dred years ago, Lord Bacon, the father
Of philosophy, expressed his idea OF
the value Of an education in the SEN
tence, knowledge is power, and
since that time the greatest minds Of
all nations have accepted his idea and
acted upon it. It is true that we must
toll; but our minds must be trained to
think or our toll will be in vain
Ours is business Of action and it al
SO business of thought as thinking
sriumphs over action, the amount of
manual labor requisite to secure equal
results constantly lessons. No amount
OF knowledge will come amiss, for in
no other business is such variety Of
questions presented for decision. It
is impossible for a man to secure max
imum results as farmer without thor.
ough mental training and special
study. We must take the advice OF
our great leader and shake off the stu
por which has SO long impeded our
progress and work not only with our
hands, but also our heads
Humanity is today rapidly entering
upon grand revolution whose battles
| will be fought with brain power. To
the well informed, it Is evident that
we, as class, are unfit to enter this
conflict in which brain power will be
the mighty giant that will crush the
ignoran. millions. Newt Gresham
could conceive Of but one way to check
| the power Of demagogues, parasites,
and harmful corporations and that was
to SOW the seeds of sounder thinking
and higher learning among the farm
| ers.
Yes, we will take his most excellent
| advice. We will see to it that our
members and their children are edu-
Gated. then the labor that is now
thrown away to cultivate four or five
| acres to obtain what one will produce
will make us rich in a few years;
trainloads after trainloads of the nee
essaries of life will leave instead of
entering our borders; one farmer by
| the use of strong teams and 1abor-sav-
/ ing farm implements will till as much
land as is now titled by two or three
1 farmers; our cotton money will be
kept athome and deposited in our own
! banks and the rate Of interest forced
4 down to say five per cent
Newt Gresham said in stating the
objects and aims Of this organization
Let US first discourage as much as pos
sible the present mortgage and credit
! system" He hit the bulls eye every
/ time. The credit system unblushingly
sweeps the earnings Of toll from the
masses into the Golfers of the few. Il
substitutes voluntary for involuntary
and poverty by contract for the own
ership by birthright and government
by proprietary right. It is the curse
Of the south. 1t Is the black plague
of the cotton belt It is keeping the
farmers of the south in slavery and
whipping us numerically. Its whip Is
as cruel and merciless as the lash OF
the slave driver.
4 Many thousands Of our wives an6
children toll in the heat and cold from
sun-up till shutdown from one years
end to another, without recreation Of
pleasure, to grow and gather a large
crop Of cheap cotton, not only to pay
for goods bought at a reasonable prof
it, but fifty, seventy-dve, and one-hun
dred per cent. is often added as credi
princely profits added to thu
price Of high priced bacon, lard, corn
mules, and other products that we can
not afford to accept as free gifts. Oh
4 what terrible sufferings and disap
pointments come to the hearts of thes,
over-Worked wives and children, Whe1
at the end Of each year they fall ia
short of the necessities, and are de
MED the Injuries of life. This is a dis
grace to our civilization.
Now let US not blame the merchants
We deserve all of the censure TIL
too exclusive culture of cotton ha
forced the price far below an euuitab1
one and established the credit system
AS long as we raised everything neces
sary for home consumption and som
to spare, there was no necessity TO
the credit system. The too exclusiy
culture Of cotton marked the daWnin
Of the era of the supply merchant, an
low priced cotton.
call upon you to say, / know no
what course other farmers may Pun
sue, but as for me, free me from th
credit system or let me starYe.
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