The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-30

Farmers Union:
| conscientiously believe / am in as
good position to advise the American
farmer as n~ineteen-.Ae lticths If the
men addressing nm IN any CAPACITY
tOddy-and that for the sole reason
that | have no poll ;c.l aspirations
and never expect to harbor my
No man ever gets into politics direct
". His friends always drag him in.
10 hear him tell il. BY the hair of the
head. But one OF my ~'friends,' with
or without the quotation marks. Will
get me within looking distance of a
political office.
That is why l feel free to tell you
the truth about yourselves-to abuse
YOU. if that is necessary for your
souls welfare and the progress OF
Jour family.
Farmers aren't used TO being ab1s-
ed by politicians, or public men-eS-
cept when the same farmer sWats
one or the other out Of office.
Nobody so bland as the man out
for votes. He NAV be Shrewd enough
to see Wher a word Of blunt truth
telling would help the farmer more
than a ton of fiattery-but he gen
orally hasn't the spine. IRE just lays
on sugar. rips the fellows h farmer
dislikes up the back. handshakeS the
farmer and ambles the faster into
office.
I've heard some of them expires
their true sentiment abou you when
you licked them, however. AND they
weren't complimentary. They some
times hitched up the word "D1n
with "fool.'
Therefore, the farmer stands III
sorest need Of any creature on earth
OF having the truth told hlIn-the
truth about himself, his business, his
own leaders, politics and politicians
His need in this direction is one OF
the most pathtic things in our day.
The politicians have too long play
I'd with his passions. used them as a
catspaw and left him worse OIL thar
they found him. The time is here
for a few homely truths. I haven
spared them heretofore, and I'M no
going to now.
In fact, I'm going to speak more
and more plainly as [ get older. Anc
if mere agricultural leaders would dc
the same, the so-called redemption
of the rural districts would come
with a rush. For while the farmer
doesn't relish being told the truth a
first, he soon c~ultivates a tatSte fol
tits so unusual you know. Aftel
a while he finds himself suddenly able
to discriminate between the Old ny
pocrite Who would lie himself into
office and the honest man. Then he
looks back to the man who has KEEP
his record clear, and that man STANDS
out in his as the shadow Of {
great rock in a weary land.
Just now, I want to emphasize the
value to the farmers, the l~ndlspensa
bility rather, Of scientific distribution
of products.
A great many people are, WITT
honest motive. striving to neip tn
farmer produce more goods at les
cost and labor. They really want tt
help him. And then, there are a re"
who are urging him on to production
that prices may drop and
get a Iift-except the armer
Distribution Is Equally As Importan1
A Production.
I read in a current magazine re-
Gently of some turkey raisers in Yer
mont, who thought they weren't get
ting enough for their production. Sc
they begun enclosing little notes sew
ed up Securely inside each dressed
turkey, which read something like
this: MIR. Consumer. | got SO mucf
a pound for this turkey. Please
write me what you paid
They followed the same plan II
other parts Of the country with other
products. The answers showed sucF
a tremendous difference between tn
price the farmer received, and tina
aid by the consumers-many hun
dred per cent in some caseS-as t
be startling. AS a result, in many 10
~calities the farmers are employln!
agents to handle their products ant
getting more of what is coming t
them.
Hieh Cost of Living is Frequently a
Much Influenced by Faulty Distri
button as Under Production.
This doesn't mean that We've got i
in for h merchants. the stores, tht
bankers. or that were going TO try tc
nut the commercial world out OF com
mission.
guess we need the commercial
; world in our business just about a.
badly as it needs US. Some weak
minded brethren among US have in,
dulged in wild threats about buffalo"
ing" some special merchant or bust