CJ^ii
Union
3KMEP
Vol. 6. No. 38.
CHARLOTTE, N. C., JULY 13, 1911
One Dollar a Year
To the Officers and Members of the Farmers'
Union:
This is a chapter on '‘quits/’ being for the
benefit of the brother who is weak-kneed or
faint-hearted, peevish as a chicken with the
pip and ready to quit the Farmers’ Union at
the drop of the hat. A smaller percentage are
yielding to these special reasons than ever be
fore in the organization’s history, but the
number needs still to be lessened.
■ Just run your eyes over a few of these causes
!for “quitting,” and if the temptation ever
^strikes you to use one of them as an excuse,
remember that Barrett urged you to pay some
jstrong man to take you back of the barn and
^give you what you used to get before yo:i
jceased to fit neatly over your father’s knee.
! You quit because we had stock companies,
-j and you didn’t believe in the principle.
I You quit because you thought we didn’t
I have co-operation in its true sense.
I You quit because a little of your money was
I stolen and you imagined you couldn’t get an
other honest officer, at the expense of a little
effort.
You quit because somebody told you yon
would have a better standing if you didn’t
'’run with a crowd of “one gallus” fellows;
;you ve since found out since what a lie that
I was, but perhaps you haven’t the manhood to
confess it.
You quit because you thought they
shouldn’t have pensioned Mrs. Gresham, one
of the noblest acts the organization has to its
credit.
You quit because they gave me a present of
one thousand dollars—and let me tell you I
didn’t want to take it, because I knew just
how YOU would feel.
You quit because we were trying to do too
much.
You quit because we were not doing enough.
You quit because a few salaries were raised,
and you’d rather give your money to an out
side faker than somebody trying to help you
and bold enough to tell you unpleasant truths.
You quit because some organizer, or officer,
told you a lie forgetting that the organization,
and its principles, are bigger than any man or
set of men.
You quit because you did not get any imme
diate personal benefit, forgetting that revolu
tions are not wrought overnight and that per
haps the fault was your’s for not co-operating
properly and sacrificing a little of your fan
cied independence.
You quit because there were so many poor,
ignorant folks in the Farmers’ Union, forget
ting that every man is his brother s keeper^
and that the son of that poor devil you turn
your nose up at may be marrying your daugh
ter tomorrow or giving you orders the day
after.
You quit because women were allowed to
join, yelping that they had no place in our
meetings and “ought to be at home where
they belong”—forgetting that the woman
makes the home and that one of the first prin
ciples of the Farmer^ Union is trying to bet
ter the home.
You quit when cotton reached a good price,
or failed to reach a good price.
You quit because we didn’t go enough, or
too much, into politics.
You quit because there were some grand
rascals among the members, especially the
leaders, forgetting that there are just as many
in the churches and the secret orders and that
!t's your business to stay in and help turn
ihetii out.
I could multiply these “quits” indefinitely.
There isn’t any use. You’ll recognize a good
many of them, and be too stuck up to admit it
But just let me remind you, brother, that
while in some states we are going to halt for
a spell, and perhaps mark time, this organisa
tion is here to stay, from a National stand
point. It is here to transform rural life in
America, to get a square deal for the farmer,
to abolish mortgages on farms, to eliminate
the demagogue, to make the government to
which the farmer contributes so liberally re
turn to the farmer a little more in taxes.
Take a broad view of the situation! Get
off your own little ant-hll. Bear this in mind,
as the final test—you wouldn’t kill yourself if
everything went wrong, your crops failed,
and your faith in human nature petered out.
Well—the Farmers’ Union is just LIFE. So
when you begin to meditate leaving it for some
petty, fool reason, let it soak into your head
that you are hurting yourself worse than the
organization, and that you are losing the best
chance in history to get a square deal for
yourself, your wife, your sons and your
daughters.
CHAS. S. BARRETT.
Union City, Ga., June 28th, 1911.
Gaston County Farmers.
A great crowd variously estimated at from
(2,000 to 3,000 was present Tuesday, the
bourth, at the Sunnyside picnic on the occasion
of the celebration by the Gaston Farmers’
Union and Rural Letter Carriers. Mr. J. Z.
I Green, of Marshville, lecturer and organizer
I for the Farmers’ Union made a good speech in
I the forenoon. His speech dealt principally
I with a short history of the rural free delivery
I system, the difficulties under which it was or
ganized, the successes with which it has met.
He traced the growth of the Farmers’ Educa
tional and Co-operative Union from the Farm
ers’ Alliance. He concluded his speech with
a plea for better farming methods, more agri
cultural training and a deeper realization of
the true wealth of the farmer. A bounteous
dinner spread to- the public on the grounds
followed Mr. Green’s speech. After a recre
ation of an hour or so, the crowd re-assembled
to hear Prof. J. A. Bivins, of Raleigh. His
address was also along the lines of agricultural
education. Both addresses were admirably
suited for the occasion and were listened to
with attention and pleasure.
-r
Will Pool Tobacco Crop.
That the members of the Farmers’ Union of
this section will organize a pool of the tobacco
crop next fall was the firm opinion of one who
attended the big rally and picnic of the Union
people at Rural Hall yesterday. He said the
spirit of the pool was in the very atmosphere
and unless all signs failed there would be
unanimous action in the matter by the Union
in this county in the not distant future.
Several hundred farmers and their families
attended the rally and an enthusiastic meeting
was held. The chief feature was the address
by Mr. J. Z. Green, State organizer of the
Union and editor of the Carolina Union Farm
er of Charlotte.
Other addresses were made by Mr. R. I,.
Nunn and Dr. J. T Smith, both of Westfield!
A big dinner was served on the grounds of the
Rural Hall academy.
Another big picnic and rally will be held at
Pleasant Fork today. Mr. Green will speak
there also.—Winston Journal, 8th.
A
The Farmers’ Union of Vance county will
hold its next regular meeting on July 15th, in
the courthouse at Hena'erson. At this time
there will be discussed several important pro
positions for the farmers of the county and a
large attendance is requested.