The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-07-29
BARRETT TO FARMERS UNION
More Honor in Service Than In TItia
Asks Leaders If They Have
Kept the Faith.

To the officers and Members OF the
Farmers Union:
Selfshness is the bane Of politics
and of every organization, the Farm
ers' union not excluded. We are
gradually scourging 1t from the Farm
ers' union. There's less of 1t among
the leaders than ever before. But the
purging must be complete before the
order reaches the effectiveness des,
tined for 1t by the national needs 1t
seeks to supply.
Here is an illustration: know poll
ticians high in favor and In office who
could have served the people with
twice the efficiency had they stayed
out of office. The minute man be-
gins to run for Office, his nobler and
broader qualities are likely to suffer.
He finds himself compromising with
his convictions, when they run coun-
ter to his opportunities. He finds his
mouth closed in denouncing abuses
that work to the harm of the people,
because those who perpetrate them
may be able to iniuFe him. He makes
countless enemies Of powerful and
good individuals that otherwise he
could have kept in line for the public
good, had he not injected the bitter
virus Of parttsanship.
The man who would serve the farm
er can most often do IL best by remain
ing out of politics. You will have no
difficulty recalling men Of powerful
mentality who could have been Of in.
estimable service to the public veal
had they not tied themselves to the
wheel of politics.
There is such thing as statesman
ship In private life. The leader of the
farmer, in or out of organization, must
train up to that sort of statesman-
ship, the first requisite Of which Is the
subnerglns Of selfish ambitions for
the general welfare.
You leaders among the farmers,
have you kept this faith? Has your
every effort and energy been directed
toward lettering the condition of the
farmer or yourself? Would you make
for the farmer the sacrifices you have
made for yourselves? If you have not
and would not, 1t is unlikely you will
ever be able to give the brand Of
service that will be truly effectual
and that will write your name In his.
tory.
Are you In the order for glory and
selfish advancement, or to so strength
en- 1t by your devotion and abilities
that il will further the interests of the
farming masses of this country? You
would not allow yourself to become
easily discouraged If you were work
ing for your own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
prosperity. VIII you allow yourself to
become discouraged when you are
working for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and
prosperity Of the farmer?
Here is this man Of the acres who
has suffered and been neglected These
centuries, and who is just coming init
his own. Are you able to point out te
him his frailties, and have you the
| courage to do it? Have you the
UTdfSIy w SliCh w lib I<lUSC WACA, IL
misunderstanding and temporary pet
tishness, he smashes you? Are yot
broad enough to remain fighting b!
his side, when you believe he is In tht
wrong, but know he needs you none
the less?
We have solved some big problems
for the farmer in the past six years
We will need to solve still larger one
in the future. You must strip for tht
battle. Unselfshness must hrs you
| MOTTO Self-control must be you
guidon. Hanging on in the face Of de
feat and keeping your head in tn
/ flush of victory must be your program
I admit the program is a hard one
But when you consider the immensit
of the field you are working in, AM
that in this particular vineyard tn
"laborers are indeed few" you will VI
derstand more thoroughly the neces
sity Of the qualities I have outlined.
CHAS. s. BARRETT.
Union City, Ga.
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