The Jones County news., 1913-07-17
SELLING OUT AND BETRAYING
THE CoNFlDING FARMER.

been yictimized and ridden into pow
erty by the outside world, and when
they attempt to ,organize to better
heir deplorable condition and for
mutual benefit and self-protection, are
invariably betrayed and sold out by
their chosen leaders, who had gained
their confidence, whom they devotedly
and blindly follow.
The average farmer is the most
connding and guileless person in exis-
tence, and when he places his trust in
a man who processes to espouse his
cause, and points out and promises
to redress his wrongs, that farmer is
loyalty itself, and will follow and
stand by that pretended champion
and friend to the end, and through
good and i'll report. He has been
trained TO believe that to criticise
or attack one of his leaders is to as
sail his organization and personal
welfare and interests.
But when made as plain, yes, as
transparent as the MONDAY sun that
said leader has turned traitor and to
snbserve personal ambition or for
financial gain, has gone over to the
enemy, instead of repudiating and
spurnng the traitor, and choosing a
new man as guide, redoubling his eff
forts, that farmer seems to collapse
and gives completely up. He loses
trust and confidence in the world,
abandons his organization, and plows
on to grow crops to feed the world
and enrich every one but himself.
After time he organizes another
movement for his betterment, new lea
ders come TO the front, in whom he
places that same blind trust, and then
history repeats itself.
Our farmers should, in the first
place, not too blindly trust any one,
and most especially keep an eye skin
ned on sleek-tongued politicians and
demagogues, who seek to arouse and
inllame your passions and prejudice.
These are the scamps that are going
To sell you out when 1t is TO their sell
fish interest to do so and the price Is
offered. Don't pin your faith and or
ganization TO any man or leader; but
read up and think for yourself and
be your own guide and leader. The
result Is that when you and your or
yanization is betrayed and sold out,
you lose heart, hope and confidence,
give completely up and disband. This
is Just what your enemies want you to
do, and the end for which they had
feet any permanent organization until
they cultivate more stamina and back
bone and quit leadership worship.
There is no longer auy doubt or
question but that DR.. Macune and
other leaders sold out the Farmers
Alliance to Pat Calhoun, at that time
general counsel for the Southern rail
road, and who figured so unsavora-
bly, in that San Francisco bribery ex.
pose and scandal. And yet we remem.
Der the time when To criticise DIR. Ma.
cune would bring upon ones head the
wrath of every Farmers Allianceman
The treachery and yenality of Macuns
and other leaders divided thelAlliance
when Tom Watson lead the bulk O
the members into The Populist party
and which destroyed the grandest anC
most apparently successful mo yemen
ever organized for the bettermenl o
the condition of our Southern farm
ers. The Alliance went to smash an.
cotton sold at and cents. An,
that same year cotton mills made
profit ranging from 40 to 100 per cent
Their cherished and trusted leader
had sold out and re-enslaved the tile
of the soil Their idols shattered.
1t now seems from evidence intro
duced before that Senate committe
to investigate lobbyists, that certain
high officers in the Farmers Educa
tional aud Industrial Union have gon
even to further lengths than Macun
and secretly, and under false guise
tried to turn over the Union and it
political influence and power to tn
the protected interests that hav
extorted upon and robbed the farme
and our Southern people in general
In other words, these high officers Il
the Farmers Union met in New Or
leans last spring, to discuss schem
bv which the consumption of cottoi
was to be increa sed. y We would jus
here ask what on earth has the cottol