The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-05-04
FARMERS UNION IS GREATER
President Barrett Says Members Muss
Follow Certain General Prin-
cipIes to Perpetuate Power.

4 Farmers Union:
To my mind, one of the most s1gnln'
! cant facts in current American history
| is that the Farmers Union Is TO-DAY
greater in membership than at any
period since its founding. the pro-
Queer in this country is at last aWak-
ened to the necessity Of organization.
What this means in the agricultural
the economic and the political LIE or
the nation is not easily estimated.
From reports made to me by state
officials, and from my recent travels
which have embraced virtually every
state organized. find more money IN
the state treasures and greater PAID
up membership than ever before Inc
membership include residents OF three
fourths of the states, and farmers oi
every grade, from the one-horse va
riety or up to the very wealthy lnoi'
yidual, Throughout the rank and ME
there is a new attitude toward the IN
terests of the farmer, new loyal1y
) toward cooperation and an aggressive
ness that is new in American organl-
cation.
| L
ization is to remain at top-notcn III
numbers and efficiency that Dotn ON
GERS and members bear In mind anu
practice certain broad principles. one
of the first, is the exercise of due care
in the matter of leadership. The Far
mers' Union, like any other great booy'
:. whether religious, civic or otherwise,
: has its rascals, it's lukewarm brethren'
it's hypocrites and it's snakes IN the
p grass. We are gradually shahlns
them out of the organization, ana
: there are fewer in now than at any
: time. But the fight to keep down TINS
element must be an eternal one, II the
+. organization is to succeed, perma.
= nently. Farmers organizations haVe'
:, heretofore, made slow progress De"
cause of the pitiful scarcity OF men
who, in the first place, really under
stand the farmer and who, in the sec
ond place, were willing and ready 10
make sacrifices for him, in othef
X words, who were willing to pay the
price.
.. It isn't sufficient that leader Pc
an excellent business man or brainy,
as that word is generally understood.
I can point you to plenty OF ordlna-
1t rily able men, brilliant men, in fact,
Is who would make an absolute failure
s. in heading farmers movement. Inc
to leader who steers farmers organlza-
Is ton. and that means its various
IT, branches, including business enter
IS prises. to success must stand ready
to be knocked down and dragged out
n nv the brethren time and again, and
e, then come back again and serve them
On humbly. He must put health, strength
rs and self-interest cheerfully on the al
lc- tar for them. When the brethren g
OF back on the promises they made at
vn hallelujah convention, and they are ap'
S. to do that at any time, he must ge
ed along as If nothing had happened and
en- believe they'll come right after
&C. while.
to These are only very few of tbs
tie qualifications indispensable to tn
in leadership that must perpetuate tn
en- Farmers Union believe though, VA
are developing this class of leader
lat gradually, and I largely attribute tn
on phenomenal increase In membershl
in to that fact If these traits are re
as CURED of leaders, 1t is certain tina
OF qualities no less positive are require
he of members generally. They must e2
las act loyalty and rigid accounting 6
IND the leader but they must uphold nj
ars hands. dismiss idle suspicious agains
al him. and resist the everlasting tempts
der ton to kick out Of the organizatio
her because it may have made one or tW
son failures in their locality. A menao
the that should be cheerfully watched
rly the outside critic. frequently, he
an old member who became dissati
gly fed because he was not elected
Ion some little petty Office, or because
Tue a private grudge against some office
eVl- or member, or because things didn
ing go lust to suit him in his local. Their
sec has been treachery, failure, weakne:
70 and all sorts Of the sins he charge
Tue in the union. Nobody denies tina
ark- There have been similar offenses
age every large organization, Of whatev'
anu nature. But the man who leaves tt
10 Farmers Union, or any other associ
age ton simply because its members a
les not possessed of superhuman virtues
'rsl- the man who refuses to do his sha
cul- in solving the problems and Jesse
oe- ing the hardships of his fellows
Guy cause he finds they're not angels
uits ought to go out and associate with tt
'seu animals. 81
re, We are, slowly, overcoming anoth
and fa,,,+ 1,,+ hos weakened +ha oroaniz
ton, and that is developing leade
Dso- whose sole ambition is to use the
IN fuence they create in the Farme1
anu Union to help them in other lin.
OF There are plenty of men I could mar
uuc- to you who have joined the union wi
'oea the deliberate intention Of leaving
srai' after they have built up fences