Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-06-20
THE FARMERS ASSOCIATION
AND POLITICS.

The Farmers Association, nj its
recent meeting nominated Mr.. w. A.
Leece, member of the organization,
and farmer, for supervisor of JEFF
fersonville District against Mr.. Jno.
d. Peery, also member of the organ
cation, and merchant. One. Mr..
Leece, Republican, the other Il Dem
ocrat. Mr.. Peery is a candidate by the
earnest solicitation, for the position
of Supervisor for tie same district.
Why two candidates? Here is the
milk in the coco3nut: AS is well
known, there is opposition 10 the
Farmers Association on the par. Of
tie merchants CT the county. The
Association is pooling and combining
in buying and selling farm products
and supplies, is cutting in pretty deep
into the business of the licensed mcr-
chants of the community. Naturally
the merchants are not favorable to
this kind of dealing on the part of the
Association. Mr.. J. d. Peery is rated
by the association as not in full smv-
pathy with he association, altho a
member. Mr.. Peery will make Il first
class supervisor every body says.
The only opposition or objection rails
ed is, that being n large merchant, he
cannot be in full sympathy with the
Farmers Association and its work.
and hence the nomination of Mr..
Leece, farmer, and in full sympathy
with the object and work of the farm
ers. Mr.. Peery disclaims entirely that
he is opposed to the work. as we
understand, being himself largely in
terested in farming and stock rails
ing. So there you are, and the fight
is on, and will be fought, presumably
to finish, each side sure of winning.
This is not an unheard of or new
condition. The Farmers Cooperative
organizations all over the country.
have had the same fight, and per
haps the Tazewell Association had
just rs well fight it out now once for
all, and be done with it.
The farmers. and every body else.
have the right to buy and sell when
and where they please, so long as
they are within the law And the pco-
pie are going to buy where tl.ey can
buy the cheapest, and no one can
blame them for so doing. As we
understand it, the merchants have mo-
quarrel primarily, with he people hut
are not at all pleased that the farm
ers organization, unlicensed and not
taxable, should go inc business in
opposition to them. The buying. not
the selling SO much. is what gets
closest to the merchants. They say if,
the Association stuck to the pooling
business in selling cattle, sheen. wool
etc, little objection could be raised
but buying in car lots. corn. sugar
chop, wire, flour, fertilizer, machin-
cry ETC., and distributing to the farm
er at a cost of only about > per cent
tnen the shoe begins TO pinch. The
farmers reply, that they must buy
where they can buy the cheapest, Just
"hat every man Oh earth, the mcr-
chants not excepted, is doing.
So far, this is believed to he AN
impartial statement OF facts, certain
~ SO intended to be, but it is not
quite full statement.
The Farmers Association ;s fr
Their criticised because their chief
and most active agent, is the county
demonstrator, employed by the county
and his salary paid out of the taxes
OF all the people, that ii Mr.. Wall is
10 devote his time or even laro.
portion OF it, to the work of the farm
ers cooperative association then this
association should pay his salary
There is some show of reason in
inns contention, and some grounds for
honest criticism. However, the Asso.
cation replies: Wallis salary is maid
by the State and the county. half
ana half' that he is working in the
interest OF all the people, that every
farmer and every other citizen of the
county can have equally the benefits
OF the associations work if thev co
desire. The association seeks to en-.
roll all the farmers and citizens who
care TO JOIN and wish to share the
benefits of the cooperation.
In conclusion, What? There sbon,d
De no fight between the merchant
and the farmers The individual OR an,,
number Of individuals, who 90 IN
against the great agricultural thou
sands-the bone and sinew of This
country, the producers of he worlds
bread and meat, is digging his own
grave financially. There must he M
fight. The merchants hope is to meet
competition.
The only enemy threading the
farmers cooperation is politics. If