The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-26
ANNUAL ADDRESS OF
PRESIDENT SHEPPARD

Following is the address of Senator
j. L. Sheppard of Pomona, president |
of the Florida Farmers Union, deliv- |
cred before the annual convention of |
that organization in the courthouse
Thursday morning:
To the Officers and Members OF the
Farmers Union, Ladies and Gentle
men,: For the past ten years / have
given the best that was in me to this
cause; the progress we have made is
due to the cooperative efforts of the
membership. The fact stands out as
clear as crystal that the only way the
American farmers as mass can work
out their economic salvation is thru
Organization and cooperation. An
equally potent fact is that if the ex-
listing agencies are not utilized and
carried 70 triumphant conclusion,
another generation viii have to come
TO the front before another effort can
be made with the slightest hope of
success. The farmer is slow TO move
and it is too often the case that if his
first efforts are not crowned with sue
cess he will refuse to make a second.
This brings up the question of the
Farmers Union which for the past
ten years has been making heroic
struggles for the farmers and which
has Won measure of success, but not
a 1.-THE of that which it is entitled to
by reason of its principles, its prac-
tees and sacrifices made by so many
of its unselfsh members, to promote
thees principles and extend their prac-
teal application.
What are the purposes of the Farm
ers' Union? To discourage the credit
and mortgage system.
Is there business man in the
United States who will condemn the
: wisdom of this whether he considers
only the farmers or takes in the gem
eral welfare.
To assist our members in buying
and selling. Does not every one today
recognize the necessity for this which
means better marketing systems.
To educate the agricultural classes
in scientific farmers. Every econom-
ist in the country emphatically en-
dorses this.
To teach farmers the classification
of crops, domestic economy and the
process of marketing. Our national
and state agricultural departments
: are wrestling with these very prob
:. lens, and praying the farmers to take
hold of them
8 To systematic methods of produc-
) ton and distribution. This. too meets
with universal approval.
To bring farming up to the stand
: ard of other industries and business
enterprises. No man in any occupa.
ton who respects himself and his oc.
eupation will object to this laudable
decision of the organized farmers.
So many things we might do that
would better our conditions and YET
: our indifference to them tsands out
so prominent that it is almost tragic
We might have representatives in oul
: Legislative halls that really knew
: something about agricultural needs i
we could realize the Importance o.
:, Legislation. Yet, the foremost thing
in our minds when we do elect oul
! representative is, that he must stand
= for no measure that carries an appro
" ~ b,,% I;+4la - q ,raf<,-,,, M
= ture. You do not mean to do wrong
you are perfectly conscientious, but i
: is lack of knowledge on your par
y of conditions as whole. There wa
as we have had in prices. 1t has al
, most ruined every legitimate business
= of this country. Our country is sicl
and it is the sickness that has closes
= thousands of our farms and factories
= which has thrown out of employment
9 over five millions of men, who ar
anxious to work in order to supper
= their families. 1t is a sickness whicl
during the last Is months has brough
Eabout a decrease in value of the pro
= ducts of the farm and factory, and o
&c securities largely exceeding twenty
Il FIVE billions of dollars. The sum
: far greater than the actual cost of tn
"a world war to this country, and yet tn
N farmers of this country are going
le have to pay the majority of this deb
- Contracted when the prices of pre-
= ducts were high, it now takes. on
: bushel of wheat or ten pounds of col
ten, or three and one-haf gallons G
: syrup. or ten pounds of beef, or 121
pounds of pork. or in other words
takes from three to four times as niue
- of any one of these products to pul
: chase > dollar, as it did two years agt
There never was truer statemer
= made than by Abraham Lincoln, whe
: he said, "debts are paid honestly onl
: when they are paid in the same term
of value under which they were cor
= tratced." Two years ago bale c
" cotton was worth more than $15l
Today a bale of cotton is worth So
and the railroads are now chargin
- more to haul bale of cotton wort
, $50 than thew charged TO haul q bal