The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-07-01
BARRETT ON FARMERS, UNION
President Points 10 Part Of What
Powerful Agricultural Organize
ton Has Accomplished.
To the Officers and Members Of the
Farmers Union:

A new epoch was written in Ameri-
can history Wien the Farmers union
| became a truly national organization.
1 Other associations of farmers had
| preceded it. But they had fallen by
the sword of partisan politics or had
failed to hitch enthusiasm to the har-
Vest-so they FELL
] speak advisedly when say that
the Farmers union Is the first or
ganization in history to successfully
join theory with practice, to begin
the movement Of wedding the politi-
clans from the fnnermost councils Of
the farmer, and to impress upon the
latter that the improvement of his
lot rests not in the hands of some
faroff "up1ifter" or fly-by might reform
er, but with himself.
Today the world asks less for
rhetoric and more for results This
Is a very slight summary Of what we
have accomplished; together with a
statement of what we yet hope, with
the aid of the Almighty and our own
courage, to accomplish.
We have 1928 warehouses, mainly
for storing cotton. Mississippi leads
the warehouse movement, with mil
lion-dollar corporation.
We own and operate a large num-
Der of elevators and terminal agencies
for the handling of grain.
We own and operate 245 packing
houses.
We own and operate dozens Of
newspapers.
We own and operate coal mines.
We own and operate several banks.
flour mills, creameries, pickle fac
tories, several hundred stores, an i'm
plement factory, phosphate plant,
phosphate mine.
We own and operate tobacco fac
tories and warehouses, produce ex-
changes, fertilizer factories, peanut
warehouses, a peanut recleaner, many
cotton grading schools, cooperative
life and fire insurance companies
Any number Of other general bust
ness agencies are owned or controlled
by members of the Farmers union.
In this connection, 1t must not be
forgotten that the union does not Of
fcially own these concerns. We are
not close corporation.
In many states we have secured
radical increases in public school ap-
preparations. In many Of the states
the Farmers union has been instru-
mental in the establishment Of agri-
cultural colleges.
Other important legislation, state
and national, now pending, Is an In
dication Of the resistless influence of
the organization among American
farmers. We have made systematic
canVasses Of the various legislatures,
and Of several successive sessions of
congresses. There is new view
point In Washington toward the
American farmer-and the might OF
the Farmers union, demonstrated In
election, Is responsible for 1t.
These achievements are the out
ward sign Of a great new movement
In American agriculture. But they are
not comparably important to the
spirit Of fraternity which we have
wrought among the farmers Of this
nation. It Is fraternity, appealing to
intelligence, that has wrought this
progress. And the same force will
develop IN a thousand unexpected
directions to solve the problems OF
the American farmer.
/ cite these facts as the basis OF
an argument that now is the time for
every American farmer to affiliate
with this organization.
It has passed the stage Of expert
ment. II is an assured, achieving,
permanent institution. Every farmer,
however small, who joins it, increases
his own power by the organized
might Of his three million brethren.
Do you object to the order because
you know some crooked customers in
1t? There are many such In every
religious denomination. In many So
cret orders, one or two black sheep In
your own family
Does that fact keep you out Of the
church, the secret order, or cause you
to desert your family? Hardly. It
makes you more anxious to go In ana
cure these evils, If you are worth be-
ing called a man, and not a beast.
That same influence should bring
you into the Farmers union, with
the divine determination to help your
brother man--and il you help your
brother man, you cannot avoid help
ing yourself, and your children and
your children's children.
The greatest drawback the Ameri-
can farmer has ever labored under
has been his willingness to be swayed
by the man who fattered him, and
who would not tel him unpleasant,
but wholesome truths This day Is /
passing! The farmer is learning to
pick the cotton strands out OF the
wool-where the politician and the
public man is concerned The quicker
he completes the job, the better for
his own material, moral, mental and I
spiritual salvation and those of his
brethren
We are turning now with increasing
emphasis to the job OF distributing