Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-01-08
FARMERS UNION is GREATER
President Barrett Says Members Must
Follow Certain General Prin-
ciples to Perpetuate Power.

Is that the Farmers Union ls tooay
greater in membership than at any
period since its founding. The pro-
ducer in this country is at last aWak-,
ened to the necessity Of organization.
What this means in the agricultural.
the economic and the political life OF
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 etate treasures and greater paid
up membership than ever before. The
membership include residents OF three
fourths of the states, and farmers OF
every grade. from the one-horse va
riety on up to the very wealthy lndi-
vidual. Throughout the rank and file
there is new attitude toward the IN
terests of the farmer, a. new loyalty
toward cooperation and an aggressive
ness that is new in American orgam-
zation.
It is essential, however, If the organ
ization is to remain at top-notch'ln In
numbers and efficiency that both ofn-
GERS and members bear In mind and
practice certain broad principles. One
of the first. is the exercise Of due care
In the matter Of leadership. The Far
nsszs' Union, like any othergreat body,
whethee religious. civic or otherwise,
has It's rascala iss lukewarm brethren,
its hypocrites and tn snakes IN tho
grass. We are gradually shaking
them out of the organization, and
there are fewer in now than at any
time. But the fight to keep down this
element must be an eternal one, II the
organization is to succeed, perma-
nently. Farmers organizations have,
heretofore. made slow progress be-
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 to
make sacrifices for him, In other
words, who were willing to pay the
price.
1t isn't sufficient that leader be
an excellent business man or brainy,
as that word is generally understood.
I can point you to plenty Of ordina-
rily able men, brilliant men, In fact,
who would make an absolute failure
in heading a farmers movement. The
leader who steers farmers organiza-
ton, and that means its various
branches, including business enter
prises, to success must stand ready
to be knocked down and dragged Gut
by the brethren time and again, and
then come back again and serve them
humbly. He must put health, strength
and self-interest cheerfully on the al
tar for them. When the brethren go
back on the promises they made at a
hallelujah convention, and they areapt
to do that at any time. he must go
along as IL nothing had happepeS4snd
believe they'll come right after
while.
These are only very few OF the
qualifications indispensable to the
leadership that must perpetuate the
Farmers Union. I believe, though, We
are developing this class Of leaders
gradually, and largely attribute the
phenomenal Increase In membership
to that fact. II these traits are re-
quired Of leaders, 1t is certain that
qualities no less positive are. required
Of members generally. They must e1-
act loyalty and rigid accounting OF
the leader, but they must uphold his
hands, dismiss idle suspicious against
him, and resist the everlasting tempta-
ton to kick out Of the organization
because it may have made one or two
failures In their locality. A menace
that should be cheerfully watched Is
the outside critic. frequently, he is
an old member who became dissatis-
fed because he was not elected to
some little petty Office, or because OF
a private grudge against some officer
or member, or because things didn't
go just to suit him In his local. There
has been treachery, failure, weakness
and all sorts Of the sins he charges,
in the union. Nobody denies that
There have been similar offenses In
every large organization, Of whatever
nature. But the man who leaves the
Farmers Union, or any other associa-
ton simply because its members are
not possessed Of superhuman virtues;
the man who refuses to do his share
in solving the problems and lessen
ing the hardships OF his fellows be-
cause he finds they're not angels
ought to go out and associate with the
animals.
We are. slowly, overcoming another
fault that has weakened the organtza-
ton, and that Is developing leaders
whose sole ambition Is to use the in
fluence they create in the Farmers
Union to help them in other lines.
There are plenty Of men could name
to you who have joined the union with
the deliberate intention Of leaving it,
after they have built up fences for
political prestige, for a commercial ca