The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-09-09
PRESIDENT H. @. ALEXANDER
TO THE FARMERS UNION
Inc ADDRESS Delivered at The Convention of The
Farmers Union OF North Carolina Which Was
Held In Raleigh the Past Week.

cOuraged, finds himself oftentimes in
worse condition at the end Of the year
than he was at the beginning. The |
bright boys and girls got jobs in town.
to be followed a few years later by
the removal OF the entire family to
town. Or the whole family moves
to town and the women and children
go into the mills
The farm is sold to real estate spec
Country churches are constant feed
efS to the town churches and must
be grouped together two to four to
support a pastor.
The rich well-tO-do farmers have
moved to town, %ostensibly to educate
their children (Which should have
been done by building up a good
school in the country but probably
a stronger reason for the change vas
to engage in the more profitable bust
ness of merchandising, banking or
manufacturing.
The outlook is bad for the rural
sections and almost hopeless for the
small farmer without capital. 1t is
the darkest hour just before day.
When the tale Of brick is doubled,
Moses comes" Not one great leader
called Of God but dozens OF men who
have seen a vision.1 Men like Knapp
and Newt Gresham and Charlie Bar
rett and our own D.. II. Hill, Prof
Massey and Clarence Poe, and many
others in this and other States Men
who have taught with tongue and pen
that better farming and improved
rural conditions were absolutely nee
essary to the saving of the rural
South.
1t was recognized that education,
organization and cooperation and leg
islatiOn were the c~1rner-stoneS on
nhioh thin noU Y1ral oSyyi1;4nttnn m,Icf
be builded. The work was begun and
is now in progress. Hundreds Of thou
sands Of men and women have joined
with the leaders and are cooperating
for the rehabilitation Of the rural
South and the regeneration Of the
poor, discouraged Southern farmer.
Now See the Present.
The picture has moved on and is
now giving us a view OF the present
The people are now more universally
interested in an education that really
educates than ever before. Thu
schools are being adapted to The
needs of the people. Comfortable ane
convenient buildings dot the land
scape here and there and e~fficien
well-paid teachers will soon occup,
these school houses for a term of 81,
months-thanks to the Farmers
Union
The average farmer has caught tn,
spirit Of progress. The ma who l
little while resembled Markham
!, Man with the hoe is today facin,
: the problems OF life with courage an,
. hope and applying intelligent mean
! to the solution of these problems. H
. has realized hat working alone h
!, is poweriess but united with all other
: OF his class, he Is all powerful. Henc
! we find men every where taking tn
. first step to comnaercial freedom an
financial independence-they are or
ganzing. The second step immedi
ately follows the first and the farm
:. ers Of North Carolina AVE taken tn
: second step-ney are cooperating.
The slogan now is Education, Q I
a ~ganization, Cooperation and Legisla
Q ton. Let every man catch the son
{ and keep up with the music.
e Now follow me a few years int
the future, possibly until sorne Of u
d will be crowned with hoary locks, bu
will also wear crowns Of victory IN
Il great cause for humanity.
q AS a result Of this new ~educations
It regime the a. and M. College is wri,
ten with a great big a. 4 lare
n majority Of her pupils are taking th
q AGRICULTURAL course. The G1eensbe1
State Normal and the other State CO
IS Ieges for women are requiring @
i pupils to take the course in a&rtcu
ture and domestic science and lone
e tic art.
As The purpose now is not only to pr
ST pare them for teaching in the rnr'
schools but to fit them for that hisf
re el and greater work OF hone-makin
81 All OF the public chool VIII no
{. be giving a complete course IN ell
c. uentary agriculture and domest
~ science and art, and the boys Al
IN Girls that never attend any 9th
Of school,. as is now the case with
per cent of the school population, "
~ be web fitted to become efficient pr
ducerA and high types of men al
W women.
=. All of the county high schools "
~ now be Farm Life schools and the
will be one or more in every coun
ce in the State. Vocational education,
re with now be the rule rather than Il
exception and merely cultural edue
On ton viii a lost its charm. It
I'D standard of true greatness VIII nc
he hat Of service TO humanity. /