Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-10
BARRETT WARNS THE FARMER
AGAINST ADVICE OF QUACKS,
POLITICAL AND OTHERWISE
Georgian President of Farmers Unlon Addresses Annual
Convention of That Organization in Chattanooga
That Organization Must Work Out Its Own Salvation and
Not Depend On Outside Adv ce for Motive Power
Csz A..sss.tsa Pres,

CHATTANOOGA. Tenn. Sept -
President Charles s. Barrett. OF the Ma
tional Farmers union. aroused great en-
thusiasm among the ranks Of that or
ganizstion when he made his annual adj
dress TO the eighth annual convention
OF that body.
q President Barrett declared that many
quack remedies have been proposed to
cure the Ills from which the farmel
suffers. and Tot OF auacks. politica
and otherwise. prescribed them"
He warned his comrades against being
"gulled" into believing that patent med
icine prescriptions could bring reforms. -
He pleaded for a strong organization
free from politics and pessimism.
! His address in full follows:
Brethren OF the Farmers Union:
With the Farmers union greater IN
numbers. finer In discipline. more BUSH
nesslike in policies and in fits deter.
mination 10 demand and enforce the
rights OF the American farmer than
since its founding. Il is my pleasure
to greet you at the eighth annual con-
Vention Of the organisation. Ny graf
ification IL intensified in that I am en-
aoled to report that the past year has
witnessed the most remarkable growth
In resources and in intelligent man.
agement OF any agricultural orEanfza-
tion In all history. The status OF your
I treasury attests expansion from, che
standpoint OF numbers. But the flour
ishing condition OF enterprises conduct
ca by Farmers union people, and the
greater degree Of inteIlieeuce with
] which We now regard all problems fac
ing the farming population OF this coun-
Try. is by far the most Significant in
| dication Of the record of the twelve
We now bring to a close
We have COMPOUNDED the critic and
sealed the mouth OF the skeptic When
nrst the Farmers union was organ
lied in Texas and from there spread
gradually until IL covered almost every
state In the union the prediction was
freely made that our growth was OF a
mushroom nature. The American really
friendly to Us pointed out that other
agricultural associations had been
launched and enjoyed a feverish ex-
istenee only to pine and die before
outside attacks and inside jealousies.
They were fearful the Farmers union
would duplicate that course. The ele-
ment that did not want us to succeed
and a few OF that sort still abide
openly ridicuied the attempt TO weld
the farmers OF the republic into a CO.
! hesive organization and confidently
looked forward to the early date when
shipwreck would overtake us.
ERRORS
Against all obstacles, not the least
OF which came from our own errors,
we have dispeIled the doleful prophe-
cies Of those who meant us well and
disappointed the sinister expectations OF
those who would like to have seen us
fail In our purposes. The task has not
been an easy one. Plenty OF dragons
combat indifference and jealousies
among our own members and open hos
tility from the outside. In the face
Of every adverse situation. IN spite Of
the backhitsrs, the backsliders. the
Jobs and the Jeremiahs. the dema-
gogues and the ideslists, we have gone
steadily forward. The organization
4 before the country. It's rank and file
are learning better how 10 distinguish
as between friend and foe. how 10
winnow the sheep from the goats, how
TO put aside the temptation to let talk
take the place OF action. We are yet 10
conquer many OF our weaknesses. There
are many questions we must yet settle
between ourselves and before the coun-
try at large. But ! challenge success
ful contradiction when I say that be-
cause OF our Pleading progress and
persistence. the American farmer is
today In a more advantageous posi-
ton to fight and to gain his own than
at any time since government was or
gained in this country.
PROGRESS THE KEYNOTE
An issue that II seems especially my
duty to impress upon you. and for you
TO impress upon the hundreds of thou
sands OF farmers you represent, is that
the age in which we live Is essentially
one OF readjustment and progress.
Whether one studies affairs In this
country in China, or any portion OF
the globe. his decision will be the same
that everywhere people are moving
forward toward equalizing the condi-
lions Of living. The trend. from
whatever angle you view II. Is for the
average man to ask and obtain a great
er share IN bis own government spe-
cial interest. whether that upon which
the mandarin in China has fiourished
or the head of the trust in America has
waxed fat. appears doomed. The old
doctrine OF equal rights to alr' is to-
day nearer actual fulfillment than at
any period since two or three men de-
| veloped the courage 10 look tyranny In
the face anc DID IL oeIlance-
BROTHERHOOD OF MAN
II is I'm wanton violation OF our con-
stitution to speak of or indulge in par
tisan politics. But II is not only per-
MISSILE. but wise. to point out that In
America this feeling OF constructive
unrest Is perhaps stronger than In any
A country under the sun.
There Is not one political movement,
not one economic tendency that does
not take coRnizance OF this fact II
matters not to what party or candidate
a man owes allegiance. or whether he
IS an outright independent in politics.
this condition of the great masses or
the people enforcing readjustment can
not escape his attention
We are seeing. each year more clear
", that the brotherhood OF man is not
a fiction. but a reality. and that any
influence which attempts TO suovert II
Is an evil one and win in the long run
do harm 20 those seeking 70 perpetuate
Il.
/ ORGANIZATION IMPERATIVE
In the war OF the revolution. one OF
4 g. "a ~