Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Oct. 1, 1921, edition 1 / Page 1
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1 . ' PAINT, LIGHTS, AND WATERWORKS SPECEAL KM IL-Jj J I g 1 g 1HW1 MUM J Carolinas -Virginia Edition A Farm and Home Weekly for North Carolina, South Carolina r Virginia JounJed 1886 At TZaleigh, KC. Vol. XXXVI. No. 39 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1921 a Year; 3 Years, $2. A PERSONAL APPEAL TO EVERY SUBSCRIBER RALEIGH, N. C, Sept.. 29, 1921 To the Subscriber Whose Name Appears on the Address-label Above, DEAR FRIEND: For a year now I have been writing on the subject of co-operative market ing of farm crops cot ton and tobacco and peanuts. Maybe you have sign ed the contract. Maybe you haven't. . If you have signed, nay I not appeal to you to try to get 'other signers during the month of October? If you have not signed, may I not urge you to sign be fore October ends? I. Remember, it means nothing to me per sonally whether you sign or do not sign. I have writtenand spoken, and traveled, and worked in this campaign in North Caro lina, in South Carolina, and in Virginia without reward or hope of reward, except such reward as I may get from the increased prosperity of our farmers as a class. I want no salaried position with the marketing as sociation, I want no pay for the time I have given it, I have no desire for any office in the gift of the people. I have thrown myself heart and soul into this cooperative marketing campaign sim ply because I believe it is the most promis ing, the most sensible, the most business like proposal that has ever been offered for the relief of our farmers. II. I do not expect that the cooperative mar keting associations will make no mistakes, I do not expect that they will . satisfy every body, I do not expect that I shall not myself be blamed when something temporarily goes wrong about some feature of the work in spite of the fact that the farmers will them selves entirely run and control the organi zation from top to bottom through the men ey themselves select. . ; But I do know that the fundamental, basic Principles are sound and businesslike and sure to prevail that it is as inevitable as sunrise that farmers are going to control the selling of their products in this way. And I know that no mistake any cooperative organization has ever made is half as hig a mistake as farmers will make if they refuse to "make themselves masters of their own industry" in this way; I know that no mis take any cooperative organization will ever make will be as great as the mistake of let ting fear and cowardice keep us in the com mercial subjection and servitude such as now enthrall and impoverish us. III. Farmers and farm women of North Caro lina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with a full sense of all the responsibility I take in doing so, I make this personal appeal to you to give some time in October to this great cooperative marketing drive. I advise you as I should advise my own, father and mother if they were alive, and again struggling on a little Carolina farm as they did struggle 30 years ago, grappling with low-priced products, "time price" sup plies, and the inevitable mortgage. I advise you because I feel that the confidence and friendship and support you have always given me impose on me a responsibility that I cannot escape. I should be unfaithful to that friendship and that confidence if I did not say that in all the twenty-two years that I have been your Editor, I have known no other such opportunity for helpingour North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vir gina farmers as I believe is offered by this cooperative marketing contract. IV. As to what you will do with this oppor tunity, that is a matter for you to decide a matter for you and your wife to decide, and decide, as I believe, after asking God Himself to guide your decision, as I myself would have Him guide me in what I now say to you. I may be accused of excess of zeal, but . I believe ;.this present "nation-wide struggle to set up a crop-selling system that is "of, by, and for the producers" instead "of, by, and for the speculators" I believe that this is destined to rank along with our Revolu tionary War struggle to set up a govern ment and political system "of, by, and for the people," instead oft "of, by, and for British tyrants." Knowing all the risks of possible errors, I do not fear to say that we should take our stand and' challenge consequences, as Washington,' Franklin, Jefferson, and Patrick Henry challenged them and if we suffer from any future mistakes made in the management of our own organization, they will at least be mistakes of brave men daring to work out their own freedom; they will not be the mistakes of these who know they should control the selling of crops made in the sweat of their own faces, but who lack the courage "to dare, and dare, and yet again to dare" as did the French when they first broke the yoke ofa royal tyranny. I have done my duty in saying this word, which I feel that I should be unfaithful to you and yours if I did not say, and I leave the matter with you. Read the fuller article J I have written on page 11, and if you want a contract to sign, or if you want one or more contracts that you will try to get others to sign, just send a letter or a postal card to the campaign manager in your state. If you live in North Carolina, write A. W. Swain, Raleigh, N. C. If you live in Vir ginia, write M. 0. Wilson, Keysville, Va. If you live in South Carolina, write R. C. Hamer, Columbia, S. C. Or if there is any information you want, or any question you wish answered, write these men, or write direct to(me at Raleigh. Sincerely your friend, Editor, The Progressire Farmer. P. S. For your convenience, I attach the fol lotvlng blank. If you decide you zvish to -use it, just mail it to whichever man is in charge of your state or a postal tvill do equally well: Mr. A. IV. Swain, Raleigh, N. C. Mr. M. 0. Wilson, Keysville, Va. Mr. R. C. Hamer, Columbia, S. C. Dear Sir: Please send me (without cost) copies of the cooperative marketing contract for cotton, and ..copies of the cooperative mar keting contract for tobacco. ' Yours truly, Maine, .-r Address .-. . ( i : ; i A Complete INDEX to This Issue Appears on Page '4 . I1 u hi"! M'i'i mm-mm 19 (J
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 1, 1921, edition 1
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