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

outlined by the brains Of the most
accomplished experts; capital in un-
measured proportion are all at our
disposal. All that is lacking is lead
erS to administer and keep admin
istering the great and the little de-
tails that underlie the welfare of so
mighty an organization.
Some of us think we need more en-
thusiasm, more plans. higher or lower
dues, constitutional amendments. to
CD into politics, to let politics severely
alone. All these considerations are
more or less vain. We do not need
| see that -, patients take the pre-
scriptiOns and keep on taking them.
| If YOU ask me the proof Of these
statements, L point You to the his
| tory Of every farmers organization
that has been born. risen to dizzy
height in some instances, and then
fallen to an inglorious death. Whose
was the fault in every case? That
| of the leaders. The Wheel. the
Farmers Alliance. are they the
mighty powers that once made the
Nation tremble? You know they are
not. Selfish leadership. cowardly
leadership, inefficient leadership is re-
sponsible. [ know as we'll as any
/ one else that the alliance had some
splendid. unselfish leaders But there
were not enough or them TO save the
organization.
You ask me my definition of a
leader. and [ will tell you little
story A few weeks ago I had oc-
casion to ask leader in a certain
State why an enterprise, for which
had failed He answered: We'll. I
worked like fire for the darn fools,
and stood a lot from them but, by
| George, / reached the point where
I wasn't going to let them rub it
in
leader of the farmer has SOt to make
up his mind, in the first place, that
the farmer is sometimes going to
disappoint him. Then ne must be
willing to keep on serving the farmer,
whether as leader or as mere mem
disappointment. Then he must let
the farmer rub it in as hard as he
wants to. grind his face in the dust
swipe the everlasting life out Of him
but he must always console himself
with the reflection, ~ expected this
would happen sometime; these poor
devils need me; and sooner or later
they're going to See I meant vel
by them and call on me for help"
If I had believed every promise
made to me by a bowling. shouting
convention of farmers I would have
y
long ago. You've got to discount
what they promise-and discount il
literally. You can never afford to be
surprised. If they lose their temper
don't lose yours. If they are
suspicious and critical and believe
gossip and SANDER about you-and
the farmer is still given a little thai
way-iust go on fighting the harder
and the more intelligently 1t will
come out all right in the end. And
in the meantime, you've served q
body Of people who need more S7rv-
ing and more liberation and more
forbearance than any similar class
in history. Isn't that reward III
itself?
ment or enterprise in history. every
great business or movement in the
ciyilizat ton of today, NaS handled ano
is being handled by Few capaoie
carefully chosen men. Ihe mose
ment of the farmer is no exception
. to this rule. You can lay TINS oo"r
as an absolute guide: Spend nine
tenths of your time and energy II
conventions looking for the rlgn
!, kind Of leaders; then spend the res
of your time following them up, CO.
i operating with them, realizing they
are human and not kicking them ou
the first time they make an error
but demanding that they give yot
good and faithful service.
. who pleases us by abusing the peo,
pie we don't like and fiattering u:
[ about ourselves. and shaking oul
, hands and putting a halluleJah feel
ing on us. We must stop that al
, together. It was men OF that size
J who put the alliance and every Othel
|, farmers movement out Of business