The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-02-11
AGRICULTURE Can Be REHABILITATED
BY FARMERS WORKING COMPARATIVELY
]. R.. COTTON OF WAUBAY, S. D, SKETCHES HISTORY OF
KNOWN Al ARMER UNION
ITS SUCCESSES

gia and Missouri.
State Union Formed
Delegates from local unions met at
Mineola, Texas, February IA, 1904,
and organized the Texas State union
with N. C. Murray as its president.
In June of that year President Muir
ray presented to the board of direc-
tors Of the state union his plan for
Withholding from market one bale Of
of cotton in five and to market the
remaining four slowly. This was not
only the first cotton holding move-
ment, but was the first attempt, so
far as we have record, by any con-
siderable group of farmers in Amer
lea to market a product in orderly
manner. The movement spread
throughout the South and resulted in
an estimated saving to farmers of
more than 5000, 100000.
Work in Other States
The flattering results of the initial
movement to control marketing thor
oughly convinced the leaders of the
Farmers union that cooperation was
indeed the key to the situation. To
better facilitate the spread of the or
~ganization, the original 10 sold their
franchise to the Texas union. That
body so conducted the campaign that
soon each of the southern states
boosted a state organization. 1t be-
came increasingly apparent that the
agencies being utilized by cotton pro-
ducers to better their condition could
be applied with equal success to the
problems of the grain and livestock
growers and the general farmer as
we'll. This led naturally to the fOrma-
ton of a national union.
National Union Organized
Delegates from Texas, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana met in Texar-
kama, December 5, 1905, and organ
lied the national union of the F. E.
and C. U. of A. The constitution
adopted by that body was substanti-
ally the M drawn up by the original
10, and is the one now in use by the
organization with some slight changes
which have seemed necessary as the
movement expanded.
Unions Merged
The Farmers Social and Econom-
ical union was organized at Brush
Greek school house, Somerset town
ship, Jackson county, Illinois, April
2, 1900 by w. D. Crews and As asso-
ciates.
r About the same time an Organiza.
ton known as the Farmers Relief as
t ISOLATION was formed in a neighbOrins
2 community. This movement made
fair growth and maintained a separ
ate existence until 1906. In that yea,
the Farmers Social and Economica
= union, which had spread into one q
. more adjoining states and develope,
into a national organization, tn
: Farmers Relief association, and tn
S remnant Of the old Farmers Mutua
= Benefit association, were consolidate,
: under the name of the Farmers IN
e ion.
: Delegates were sent from the OF
ganizatiOn to the second meeting o
the national union held in Texarkan
in 1905, asking that they be take
It into the Farmers Educational an
: Cooperative Union of America. Thi
n was readily agreed to and the merge
r, was made by the exchange of charter
1t of the local units.
r Early Growth j..
d This merger with the Farmers III
ion of Illinois gave the organizatio
"a entry into that state and great
A. strengthened the work which ha
m been begun in Missouri. The wor
Of organizing advanced with sue
to speed that by the third meeting of Il
n national union, which took place
a Little Rock, Ark, September, 100
Is state unions had been chartere
re Since that time 13 additional sta
he charters have been issued, so TIL
the Farmers union now reaches fro
rs coast to coast and from the Lakes
r the Gulf.
IN Ito be cOntinued)