The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-10

no less. no more-it will very quick
ly accord those rights.
Take politics as you take business,
coolly, without prejudice, ready al
ways to ignore the politician who has
betrayed in the past and to put in his
place the candidate whose words have
not been merely empty promises.
No Use For Pessimism.
I need not tell the men assembled
here before me, that there is little use
for widespread pessimisn, or broad
side denunciation. In the past too
many Of our members have been given
to viewing with alarm or to follow
ing the fellow who makes the largest
noise.
We are getting out Of that habit
rapidly, and you men before me, who
are leaders in your separate communi-
ties, can be OF material aid in greater
progress in the right direction by dis
couraging allegiance to the leather
lunged stump-speaker who promises
everything, but who may redeem
nothing.
In politics, as in the organization
| a good plan is to watch the leaders
who have really kept us thriving, to
see how they size up men bringing
| promises, and to do some sizing up on
our own account. Thank heaven,
each year we are learning lessons in
distrusting the oily-tongued rascal
who plays upon our prejudices for his
own advantages and then promptly
relegates us to back set in his mem
ory. But we must take more lessons
still in the art Of separating the de.
| ceiver from the honest advocate Of
our rights That is best for our OWL
protection, as we'll as that Of the coun
try.
Working Out Own Salvation.
/ Another error we need to guarc
against is the delusion that anyone
save ourselves can work out our owr
salvation.
A lot Of quack remedies have beer
4 proposed to cure the ills from which
!, the farmer suffers, and lot Ol
quacks, political and otherwise, have
prescribed them.
Il But the very minute you let your
self be gulled into believing that an,
patent prescription cal
bring the reforms that are needed, ane
that you will be spared any of the bur
den Of helping to fill the prescription
that very minute you will be entering
upon a course that will impede you
: own welfare as we'll as that Of tn,
, organization.
You wouldn't expect to sit down i,
front Of a ten-acre field, have a gill
talker say a few words and make
few passes and then see the crop roll
: ing into the gin-house and the bin o
its own accord.
, out and work like a horse, under tn
: blazing sun and in the driving rail-
/ and sometimes in sleet and snow, t
; get the desired results.
And identically the same principl
; applies to making the nation sit u
and take notice Of the things the far
mer needs and means to have; Of edu
eating your children; Of getting
} greater degree Of cooperation in you
r local and more efficiency from you
county, your State and your natiOna
,, officers.
2 Helping the Other Fellow.
: A thing to be remembered in th
: program that broadens as the Farm
ers Union brOadenS, is that the dut
l. is upon US to help others as we'll as t
- help ourselves.
. You may think that that poor, or
: merry cuss on the farm next to your
a doesn't amount to ANYTHING and tha
you can safely let slide the QueStO 0
y of aiding him in reviving ambition an
, in educating his children. You ma
= fool yourselves into believing that 80
can hoe your own row, improve you
(. own farm, pay your own dues, edu
cate your own children, and let it g
: at that.
But there is no guarantee that som
day the son Of that fellow you thin
SO far below you may not be holdln
mortgage on your home; may N
d. be courting your daughter, or his ou
r daughter falling in love with your SCI
: 1t is incumbent upon you, therefor
e to extend the helping hand not on
It because it is in itself a right thing
ii do, but because it pays in the lon
y run. Don't do So much kicking abol
q the community in which you live,
e perhaps the slack attendance of II
: local to which you belong. ExamiI