The sea coast echo., 1913-11-22
BARRETT REVIEWS HIS WORK
President of Farmers Union Tells OF
Aims and Accomplishments Dur
inc the Past Year.

President Charles S. Barrett of the
Farmers Educational and Co-opera-
tive union, in addressing the national
convention recently held at Sal1na,
Kan, said:
Slow minted out of self-sacrifice and
the devotion of loyal manhood. undts-
mayed by misunderstanding, un-
checked by apparently impossible OBJ
stacles, all great movements for hui
manity forge ahead in spite of every
setback, every difficulty and every ef-
fort to stay their progress.
1t is not my intention or purpose
here to go into the history of farmers
movements in this country. That story
has been told and retold of the splen-
did men who have burned the fires of
youth and lighted the pathway with
the blazing beacons of their undaunted
souls. The glamor of war and its
acts catch and enkindle imagination
and stir the soul.
But how much greater and more in
spring is the unvarnished story OF the
quiet and unassuming men who have
given their very hearts blood to ad-
vance the cause of the men of the
soil in the past 25 years. No poets
\. have sung of their deeds, no histori-
ans have recorded their work, but
oftener scorn, doubts, suspicion, mis-
understanding have repaid their un-
questioning sacrifice. But they wrought
mighty monuments along the highway
of human endeavor, left imperishable
imprints on their day. and history
some day will do them tardy justice.
You who today enjoy increased ben
efits of your soil, whose horizon has
broadened and lifted, whose opportu-
mites are greater, and whose interests
are receiving more attention from sci
entists. publicists and politicians, owe
a mighty debt to these brave souls
who have tewn the way through unbe-
hevable difficulties. would have no
finer tribute paid to me than to have
1t said / am following these men with
heart and soul, giving willingly and
uncomplainingly of time, of mind and
strength to your cause.
No finer word is to be found in the
English language than loyalty. From
and out of it comes all progress, all
upward and hard-won steps to the
higher goals. You and my conscience
know IL have earned the right to be
called loyal All that | can say Is
that my conscience Is clear In this
respect.
Loyalty cannot come without faith
and belief in your cause. That / have
had from the first, and as years pass
in this work my faith grows in spite
of all the disappointments and STUN
bling blocks In the way. The cause
is right, so with loyalty and faith I
feel / am right, even though I make
human errors and mistakes
1t is not amiss at the outset for me
to pay my tribute to the splendid and
unquestioning loyalty have and con-
ttnue to receive from thousands OF
men identified with the Farmers
union from coast to coast Especially
have | had it in the past year from
the national board OF directors. the
national secretary and the vice-presi-
dent They have given me unstinted
support, moral and material. They
have supported and backed me In all
I have sought to do, so, If | have
failed anywhere along the line 1t Is
my fault and not theirs.
During the past year We have or
ganized more new territory than ever
before When you hear skeptics,
which is but another name for your
enemies, say. "The Farmers union is
going the way of all farmers organi-