Vol. 5. No. 39.
CHARLOTTE, N. C., JULY 20, 1911
One Dollar a Year
10 the Officers and Members of the Farmers'
Union:
In England, there is a consumers’ league
that number about half a million members.^ It
is closely organized. The officers are chosen
for proved ability and not for personal popu
larity. They have built up a splendid buying
machine. As a result the members of the
league get food products at a much less cost
and more quickly' than by depending on the
middleman. And the producer also profits by
the arrangement.
This is the sort of initiative the Farmers’
Union must develop, and on a large scale.
I have tried persistently to preach the vir-
^tues of organization.
'We need its qualities within the order to
keep members loyal and aggressive.
We need them even more in our business
dealings, if we are ever to materialize a na
tion-wide program of buying and selling.
The first requisite is that Farmers’ Union
members must make stronger their various
enterprises. Recently I published a partial
list of these already in. operation, and they
were impressive, covering broadly the field of
business and of industry. But they must be
properly conducted.
It is useless to start enterprises of any
• nature, if you are going to be dissatisfied and
quit because things don’t go your way, because
one or two managers you have yourselves
chosen make failures or prove crooks, and it
is quite useless to start enterprises unless you
are going to support them.
There is no earthly reason why we should
not eventually work toward closer business
relations that will knit the Farmers of every
state in this union.
It will be to the benefit of the country, to
the benefit of the consumer, to the benefit of
ourselves and of business generally.
We have first a number of things to learn,
however, before we can hope to get well to
ward the consumation of such a plan. I
propose to discuss them more in in detail in a
statement that will shortely be forthcoming.
CHAS. S. BARRETT.
Union City Ga., July 29th, 1911. ...
A Domestic People.
I^Ir. Editor:
[ Since your paper has been coming to our
house I have been led to think of things from
various standpoints. However, a thing that
^ rather impresses me most is the fact that we
farmers are so shaped that we ought to be all
“of one mind” as well as possible, that our
friends who are not called farmers ought to be
with us zvell as they can too. We must live,
and they must have a living too. We ought to
prosper, and they as we, ought to prosper too.
The prosperity of all our friends, however
their varied occupations in life depends, more
or less, on our prosperity. However, the thing
in view is the fact that we are a folk that are
home keeping and but few of us will ever get
out far into this wide world.
It would, perhaps, be a little too singular for
this “scribe” to give himself away by telling
how closely he has been confined inside of one
of the farms—after hearing many boys tell
how “bravely” they “have traveled over more
than ‘t,en’ States.” “It is a good thing to
travel,” good to look over the “wide world,”
but it is rather more important for the safe
living of all that a large force stay close about
the plow handles.
A generation ago it was traditional to say
that “plowing must go”—and for the plowing
forces to fall into, live was the thing in order.
The thing at issU|e by this hasty article is the
thought of the literary help for the great hosts
who are being termed “a quiet people.” This
army of quiet people are an interesting people,
and it bielongs to the interests' of the hosts out
side of this quiet “congregation” to make this
people an interested people. There is a literary
interest that must take better shape. We have
need to come together much closer on some
lines—a thing that we often talk about.
Now, I write this artcle to suggest, or urge
that every farm home in the State be made a--'
home for the visits of the Carolina Union
Farmer. This can be done. There are various
things to think of in connection with this en
terprise. There are many men and women
who are not members of the Farmers’ Union,
and some never will be, but need the paper.
Let us see if we can do such a thing as to be
united on a newspaper. Our interests are too
much scattered, and by all reading in concert,
the same paper we will do much towards be
coming “of one mind.” Many are, as they say,
“not able to have many expenses,” but many of
this class, and others too, have been prejudiced
and biased against their own interests.
Surely the Carolina Union Farmer will prove
to be a true advocate fof the interests of the
toiling, hard working and hard worked people.
I am not writing this article to please the editor
nor any man, nor any class of men, nor any
“set,” nor any order, but an trying to urge for
the people to avail themselves of better help on
literary lines. There is abundant literature, an
over abundance, but we farmers of this Pied
mont section have need of a paper that we can
all subscribe to, and all read, and yet not crip
ple our (pet) prejudices. I feel sad and sorry
about the fact that zve are not better united.
The powers that are “not of us” are united,
and while their leading interests are foreign to
our simple interests of life, they are living
from our labors, and their successes are largely
by the destruction of our interests.
We are glad to be quiet and “domestic,” but
wje are now being disturbed, because we feel
that there is a lack of sympathy right where
much of our literary help comes from. When
we read after those who instruct as our “fath
ers” we want them to be worthy “leaders of
men.” We pay our taxes in “good faith,” as
we hope, and we must ask for protection.
Let us all unite to read at least one paper
every week, all at the same time, and let us
sacrifice, as may be necessary, in order to do so.
I, as others, am not a member of “the
Union,” but I, as others of the “outsiders,” am
obliged to be one of the “laborers,” and am on
the part of those “who are not against us”—
according to the teachings of the Son of God.
We, “the people,” have need to associate (how
ever close farm duties), and there must be
more neighborly interest stirred up. We must
associate in order to sympathize. The interests
of the religious bodies usually call the people
together and in mass, and so with the various
Fraternal Orders. We, the common people,
have a right to call out for help, and this effort
mieans to call to the Farmers’ Union for the
help.
Besides the prospective regular warm visits
of the paper to every home, we have need to
be enthused, at least once a year, by being in
vited to a farmers’ mass-meeting, where we
may hear experienced men tell much about the
ability of the common people being, and be
coming able, and better able, to live and let
live, and to live and help to live.
The idea too often comes in the way of men
that others ought to think as we do, but there
is no harm by the little variation of sentiment,
if we will all be liberal enough to see that none
of us make human slaves while we all have the
same human liberties in the world.
We, the people, feel thankful to those of the
Farmers’ Union for the privilege of their great
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