The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-03-09
FARMERS UNION MEETING AT
THE COURT HOUSE

dred farmers and a few others gather |
ed at the court house for the purpose
of hearing National President Barrett
of the Farmers Union, State Presi-
dent Shepherd and Organizer
Rhodes.
Mr.. L. NJ. Rhodes of Tennessee, or
ganizer for the union. was first to
speak Mr.. Rhodes has been in the
work for the past eight years and has
been most successful. Since being in
this field he has been made flattering
offers in other lines, but has refused
them for the reason that he started
out with the purpose to make the
Farmers Educational and Co-operat-
i've Union a success, and he is stick
ing to this purpose Mr.. Rhodes has
made himself familiar with statistics
in all lines and used them very forci
bly, in comparing the condition of the
farmer with other occupations. He
claims that the farmer only earns q
cents per capita in the United
States That the farmers Of Denmark
were a failure until they organized:
the same was true of Germany and
other countries, and for this country
we would also have to organize. He
says the reason that the farmers do
not get together is because they are
jealous, suspicious, etc A farmer will
say that farmer is failure in bust
ness, but he proved by statistics that
other lines made a great many more
failures than the farmer did That
there had been lost in banks since the
civil war more than a billion dollars,
but we have banks right on, and the
same applies to railroads., steamships.
etc.
Mr.. Rhodes stated that 100000
white women worked in fields in this
country. He said If we know what
to do, organization wouldn't be neces-
sary, but we don't. Neither did the
people know what to do to prevent
the civil war, or they would have pre-.
vented it; the same about the pres
ent war. He also referred to the rev.
olution of France and the war be-
tween England and this country in this
same connection. All Of these could
have been ayerted if there had been
cooperation and organization.
Mr.. Rhodes says let's get together
and end tenetry. and other hardships.
Mr.. Barrett next spoke. He gave
an history of the organization from
its inception to the present time. He
said that tie Farmers Union was
started by ten men fourteen years
ago, and that it has surpassed their
fondest dreams. The last national
convention of the organization was
held at Palatka last November, and
since that time he had been II the
Pacific coast. and everywhere peop'e
were interested in Florida Mr. Bar
rett stated that of 5000 farmers I'M
ions in the United States that there
were only twelve failures last year a
great record as compared to other
business organizations.
He says that when the war is over
the present high prices will not pre-
vail, and the farmers will need or
ganization to protect themselves. He
said that if the farmers were organ
lied they would have the power to
right wrongs; that no other class
would have the power they would
have 1t would be easy to get things
when organized. He said that if we
had 5000 members in this congress
sional district that the representative
would fall all over himself TO do what
was wanted of him. Il know your rep
resentative better than you do, be,
cause that is my business" continued
Mr.. Barrett
The object of MIR. Barrett's talk was
to get farmers to form unions in this
county.
MI. DdTToll anu MT. RuOu6S are
both good speakers and not having a
stenographic report only prevents us
from giving their speeches in detail
Mr.. Shepherd of Gadsden county,
state president, also spoke Mr.. Shep-
herd is fluent and graceful speaker,
and added much to the enthusiasm of
the occasion.
After Mr.. Barrett spoke secretaries
canvassed those present for members.
1t will be decided later whether it
is advisable to send Mr. Rhodes back
to Marion county for the purpose Of
making thorough canvass for mem.
oers and organization of local unions
SAVE YOUR WASTE GREASE AND