The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1922-10-21
L. o. CROSBY TALKS AT
BOOSTER DAY RALLY
Former Brookhaven Man Speaks
at Pearl River County
Gathering.

III we could heap up within oul
midst out there in gold what haI
been lost in Pearl River county b,
lack of cooperation the pile woult
be so great that no person in the Nau
dience could carry it, is one of the
striking sentences from the admira
BILE speech delivered by Mr.. L. o
Crosby, prominent lumberman oi
Picayune, at the Booster Day Rally
held at Poplarville on Sept. 2Sth
The speech follows:-
'Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentle
men, 1t affords me much pleasure
this morning to meet with the good
people of Pearl River county, most
especially in view Of the fact that we
are assembled here for so noble o
purpose.
1t has been announced that
would try to have something to say
upon cooperation. Gentlemen,
am very sorry that can do SO little
for this subject, that I am so unpre-
pared that / can say so little that
is contained in the great word "co-
operation" If we could heap Ut
within our midst out there in gold
what has been lost in Pearl River
county by lack of cooperation the
pile would be so great that no per-
son in the audience could. carry 1t.
The load would be too heavy.
mean that the common spirit of un-
selfshness has been destroyed and a
feeling of antagonism and ill-will al
lowed to permeate us for lack of CO.
operation. We want to come closer
together; we want better under
standing. When we come down to
proper cooperation, where we are
giving or getting, we are going to get
results.
am glad to say that my sympa-
thy rests with the man who stands
behind the plow handle, because
came from there myself. All the
better years of my life were years
spent in the field. / know what you
men are up against and my sympa-
thies are greatly with you at this
time. I don't believe the business
men realize how much our success
depends on you. You are first of all
to be considered at all times because
our living comes from the farm. We
have at all times had some organiza-
tion. We today have a great or
ganization, a thing in the interest
of the farms. But best of all we are
living on what could be the most
prosperous country Of the globe. We
all know that the seasons run for
the larger part of the year. With
that and all your worth of pine
trees-for some of your land has been
given to grow forests for all time
to come-we have a great opportun-
ity.
But we are not close enough to-
gether, not organized for the right
purpose. We have been permitted
by many. ways and persuasions tc
regard the business interest as ouI
enemy. I can say this more freely
than most business men because
am farmer myself. Only few
years have 1 enjoyed business such
as l am in today. know what the
farmers trouble is; I know what the
responsibility is; / know how made
my escape from the hardship that
you men are laboring under. got
hxy M nnnrnfinY1 EtUorU dow If
had the money to do it would want
to spend it in the interest of devel
oping Pearl River county, to hell
the farmer to better production. Il
we don't get better production ant
get better market we can't beal
the heavy taxes bound to fall an this
county in short time. What W.
need is to get together and develoI
market conditions to move our stuff
Pearl River county has suffered be
cause we can't market and sell thu
products we have, because we arr
standing apart. We have that t
sit down and think on.
Look over this assembly this morn
ing, with the pure Anglo-Saxol
blood, the best in the land; some
thing the cities of the north canno
boast of, because with all their for
eigners they haven't got the fine peo
pie you have. But men, are we go
ing to let these boys and girls grow
up without opportunity, simply be
cause we will not get together ant
cooperate.
/ am going to talk little plail
this morning on one thing that !
the matter with farmers. ha'
these misgivings myself. We ar
too suspicious of other interests thai
ours. We let people come aroun'
and talk ideas into our heads tina
every man in business is our enemy
when the fact of the matter is If W
are ever going to get anywhere W
have got to cooperate with tn
business man, the man in position
to help us. We have our farms tha
can grow almost every month in tn
year some kind of product to mar
ket every month in the year. Wha
we need is to get greater production
and then somebody to stand with u
to market it at the right prices. w
need to lay aside politics and ge
down to business.
You have heard them many years
telling the wants of the hard-hand
ed farmer. toiling on the farm da
after day and not getting a fai
show. What was done for us. w
have gone from bad to, worse unit
farming in this county is standin
farther behind than anything else
our state is shriyeling up; she
losing her population; her wealtl
taken in products before it goes: an
thing we receive back when it come
back is at such price we can hardl
pay it. A short time ago you coul
not tote enough wool to buy a sui
Of clothes, nor enough cowhide to bu
pair of shoes.
The thing that can help us mosi
the only thing that can set us righ'