The Harrison times., 1911-01-14
WHY DON'T FARMERS UNITE?
Three Biz Organizations, Strong in
Certain Sections, Encroach on
Others Territory.

Louis prints the following on the
question of uniting farmers organiza-
tions:
Speaking Of farmers organizations
calls to mind the fact that last week
there was a national meeting both
of the American Society of Equity
and of the National Grange. These
meetings, although held at the same
time weI held in different cities. Ac-
cording to the daily press a commit
tee was appointed by the Society OF
| Equity TO confer with the grange with
the end in view of bringing about
some sort of coalition or alliance be-
tween them. Whether or not this ef-
fort will be successful remains to be
seen, but it is to be hoped that 1t
will.
Last spring at the joint convention
of the Farmers union and the So
ciety OF Equity which was held in st.
Louis, efforts were made to unite
those two, but without avail. All
three of the aforementioned organ
izations are good ones Each has its
strong feature and its great weak
nesses. All three exist, SO they claim,
and so we all believe, with the
avowed purpose of bettering the farm
er by means Of united effort toward
improving rural education, roads,
farm life and other needed features.
Two Of them lay especial emphasis
on the organized and cooperative
selling of farm crops. Each of these
organizations is especially strong In
some certain section of the country,
but all are growing and encroaching
on the territory of the others.
"Why. these three organizations
should not coalesce is more than the
mortal asking merely for information
can understand. All three are doing
an immense amount of good, and all
three are working with the avowed
purpose of bettering agriculture and
yet they are very slow to make the
move which will bring them together
and thus help agriculture more than
anything else can do.
Officers and members Of each Of
these organizations will tell you that
the other two are mighty good" and
then add in a quiet but confidential
tone, that theirs Is just a little better
or more suited to your own personal
needs, AS a matter Of fact, ali are
good, and none have succeeded in
reaching the great mass of American
farmers who must be T2dched before
any permanent success is attained
ut is argued by some that certain
Of these organizations are best adap-
ted to certain regions, and not to
others. If this is the case there should
still be no reason why they should
not all be working together whenever
great national issues are at stake
The fact that there IS strength only
in union is one which our fathers had
quite a hard time settling, and yet 1t
is a fact that no thinking person will
now dispute.
"It has been suggested that il the
officers and leaders in these organi'
zations were willing to make personal
and unselfish sacrifices, that coali-
ton might be more quickly accom-
plshed. And that as matters now
stand each leader is somewhat slow
to risk his Office or influence, as he
would have to do, were he to con-
sent to this much-needed movement,
whether or not this is true it Is
to be hoped that they will soon come
together.
"An organization Of farmers which
has been as successful as any that
have yet been formed, If we judge
success by dollars and cents, is the
one formed by farmers of Illinois,
Iowa and Nebraska. These men have
for several years successfully handled
their Grain Dealers association (or
farmers elevators, as they commonly
are called, in spite of the fight made
upon them by the grain trust, Their
organization has been purely a busi-
ness one, there being no social, fra
ternai or secret features connected
with It, and yet they have been so
successful that farmers elevators
owned and operated by farmers, are
to be seen at all the railroad stations
along the main lines in the northern
or heavy graln.growing sections Of
these respective states.
Undoubtedly they too, have
learned some lessons in their fight
with the trusts, which would be Of
value to other farmers organizations,
when all these successful farmers
organizations are willing to come to-
gether for the common good, they
will be making real progress"