The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 14, No. 34, Ed. 1 Friday, March 2, 1906 Page: 1 of 8
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Voice
VOLUME 14.
NORMAN OKLAHOMA. FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 190f
NUMBER 34
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those I
I FARMERS" ORGANIZATIONS.
In February Issue of Watson's Magazine.
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Not since the days of the Farmers'
Alliance has there been such a wide-
spread movement among the farmers
of the country as now. While the
present uprising is economic rather
than political, it can not but have its
political effect. Anything' that edu-
cates the people in correct prfiiciples,"
anything that unites the producers,
anything that looks to the interest of
the masses and thus emancipates men
from the partisan boss, can not but
be reflected, sooner or later, in their
political activities. So long as the
educative movement is in the right
direction, we can rest assured that its
outcome will be beneficial.
Whatever form the expression ult-
imately takes, it must be, in the ver/
nature of the case, on the side of
those who create rather than those
who appropriate. Here is where the
real line of cleavage lies, both in eco-
nomics and politics, so that any step
that lead9 toward the union of the
wealth-makers, as against the wealth-
takers, is a distinct gain. Whether
or not the industrial organization, as
such, launches itself into partisan pol-
itics, its membership, in the end, is
bound to do so, and those who believe
a new party of the people necessary
can contentedly await the inevitable
result. 4
The workers of tbdMand, whether
of ihe field or of the shop, must event-
ually get together, both economically
and politically. The signs of the times
indicate that such a union is not far
distant. In the meantime, let the good
work of organization and education go
on. It produces co operation, solidar-
ity, enlightenment. Let the workers
once know their true interests, feel
their power, and come into sympi-
thetic touch among themselves, and
the battle is half won. They can then
be trusted to find the way out. Let
the farmers and other toilers of the
land once become thoroughly united
and informed, and the future is as-
sured
By all odds the largest single farm-
ers' organization is the Farmers' Un-
ion, officially known as the Farmers'
Educational and Co-operative Union
of America. True, the Grange is still
in existence and has a very consider
able membership in several of ihe
Northern states, Michigan bt-ing no-
table among the number. It will be
recalled that the Grange was organ-
ized in 1967 by an employe of the ag-
ricultural department who had been
sent into the South to study the con-
dition of the farmers after the war.
He found rural conditions generally
so deplorable that he concluded the
farmers should organize for self-ad
vancement and protection. He there-
fore started the Grange to educate
and unite them and teach them busi-
ness methods. The organization grew
rapidly, spread all over the South,
then made its way to the North, and
in a decade counted over a million
members. It was the great bulwark
of the greenback movement, but most
of its own strength went with polit-
ical action, and its vast membership
disintegrated. One of its roost note-
worthy accomplishments was the part
it played in securing the creation of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
law, which was the direct forerunner
of the present freight rate struggle.
After 1870 a remnant of the old or-
ganization got together, reorganized
and succeeded in holding a sufficient
membership to malce of itself a con-
siderable business tind social factor,
which it remains up to the present
day It has never participated in any
other political movement, at least as
an organiz ition. The Grange started
co-operative stores and has success-
fully inaugurated a number of other
business enterprises for the benefit of
■its members. The official name of the
order is the Patrons of Husbandry,
but the public, against whose edicts
in such matters there is no appeal,
has insisted on calling it the Grange,
and has so popularized the name that
granger has become synonymous with
farmer.
The history of the Farmers' Alli-
ance is too familiar to need rehearsal.
It may not be out of place, however,
to call attention to the fact that it
also was born in the South, in the
great state of Texas. It is the habit
of each of the American common-
wealths to refer to his own as ' the
great state of So-and-so," and they
all are that; but in the case of Texas
the adjective is especially appropri-
ate, for the Lone Star state is great
in tuore senses than one.
Contemporaneous with the Alliance
was the Wheel and the Farmers' Un-
ion. The last-named organization,
which bad its chief membership in
Louisiana, was in no way connected
with the order of the same name of
today.
While these older organizations, as
such, have almost wholly disappeared,
their noble work is by no means lost
to the world. It seems one of the
enigmatic laws of being that some-
thing must die in order that some-
thing el;e may live. Thus the parent
gives his life, however slowly it may
be, for his children. The mother dies
in giving birth to her babe. The old
martyrs died that their cause might
live. The patriot gives his life that
his country may survive. So the Al
liance gave its life that its principles
might go onward to ultimate triumph.
Out of the mould of the fallen oak
grows the future monarch of the for-
est. Never did a martyr of old more
truly meet death that the cause he
loved might live than did the Farm-
ers' Alliance die that its truths might
flourish. Nor was its sacrifice in vain.
For the principles it cherished were
never more in the minds of men than
they are today.
The Farmers' Union was started in
the summer of 1902 Newt Greshaui,
of Texas, is credited with having been
its founder. It will be noted that the
' three great farmers' organizations
were born in the South, and that two
of them had thei. beginnings in
Texas. There must be something in
the soil do*n there that makes for
liberty and co operation.
Grcsham, who is a newspaper man,
has given an account of the birth of
the Union. He says that in 1902 he
and a neighbor, J. B. Morris,laid the
plan for the organization, got others
interested and went to work to bring
the scheme into manifestation. He
explains that the object of forming
the Union was that the farmers of
the South might have an organization
for business purposes, there being at
the time nothing of the sort in the
field. He states that this body, "un-
like the Farmers' Alliance, was no
an accident. It was done on purpose,
as the lawyers say, 'with malice afore-
thought.' "
Those who had ihe plan in charge
decided to organize their own county
before venturing into other fields. As
a result a good union was started in
every school house in Rains county,
Texas, after which adjoining counties
were organized and tbe work steadily
spread over the state, and eventually
over a considerable portion of the
entire South. It was not without dis
couragements. What effort for hu
manity h-is ever gone forward except
over obstacles? There are always the
reactionaries, always those to point
the linger ot scorn, always those to
question motives. Hut truth wins,
even though her soldiers may fall in
the battle. The hearts of the masses
may be trusted, in the long run, t.ow-
er blind their eyes may seem to their
own interests Selfishness is ever con-
servative. Special interests oppose
all class movements—if these move-
ments be among the producers. Prog-
ress for tbe many is only attained
against the opposition of the few. It
is a short-sighted po icy that prompts
traders and business men to beiitle
and retard the efforts of the farmers
and workers to better their own con-
dition; for such betterment, when H
££jj Oklahoma Farm Mortgage Company,
WANTS TO LOAN YOU MONEY
ON YOUR FARM ALL YEAR.
FIDELITY Bl'ILDING.
IOANS MADE TO YOLI{ INTEKEST.
NOKMAN. OKLA.
South Carolina
North Carolina ((
Kentucky ]
Kansas j
The membership was in the neigh-
borhood of 300,two. There were then
being chartered new unions at the
rate of twenty-five per day. exclusive
of Sundays, or an est:mated daily in-
crease of membership of <300 As this
rate of increase was being augment-
ed at a geometric ratio, the present
dimensions of the Union are readily
seen If the million in irk of mem-
bership shall :iot already have been
reached when this article sees tl.e
light, it will not be long coming.
It is not without interest that this
great organization of farmers has
34 i When the farmers awaken and unite,
they will no longer he impoverished
by speculators or governed by polit-
ical bosses. God bless the Farmers'
Union, for It is one more step in tbt
direction of popilar self-govermen
and equal rights.
Well, you Democratic lambs wV>
would offer yourselves for sacrifi. ■■
on the altar of public office in th t
county this fall, hurry up and seques
ter $l().oo from the proceeds of your
wife's eggs and butter and hand it
over to The Democrat-Topic to have
your willingness to he a sacrifice an
nounced; for a sacrifice you will be,
if not in the primary, then in the
general election this fall, for the tn.<
• comes, benefits by r,fV, actio,, tnose -
very t ciders ami business men. Set I wwwvwwwvwv
; some of these will persist in their en. \ i 1906
, inity. They have failed to see the j
! suicidal nature of their course,
lone can only permanently prosper i
! the prosperity of all; and that he
who opposes the general good in the
end opposes his own good.
The Farmers' Union encountered
the faultfinder, the cynic, the reac-
tionary and the man who has an ax
to grind. Privilege is distiustful of
innovation, is fearful of the advance
ment of those on whom it feeds. The
votaries of the predatory system for-
get that ihey may be its next victims,
and only remember that it may fur-
nish some special advantage to them-
selves. They expect the next turn of
I the wheel to carry them up on its
j rim, forgetful that it may bear them
down and crush them beneath its
tire. The hope of making a fortune
from the earnings of others, of get-
ting something for nothing, consti-
tutes the greatest danger to the
American people at this time. It is
this false hope that prompts most of
the opposition to the organizations
of the farmers and their brother toil-
ers
It was a constant source of grief
and surprise to the early supporters
of the Farmers' Alliance to find th'
small merchants for the most part
arrayed against them. Preaching as
they were a doctrine which they be-
lieved to be for all men's good, they
could not understand why any class,
especially the business men of the
towns and villages, whose prosperity
is so dependent on that of agricult-
ure, should be hostile. The organ-
! izers of the Union encountered this
I same condition. Farmers going to
; the towns to trade would be met by
| adverse comments on the growing or-
| ganization, coupled with confidential
i advice to keep out of it. The motives
| of its promoters were impugned, and
| the small bankers and merchants re-
i marked, ' Those Union organizers are
' only trying to make a little easy cash
j lor themselves, that's all." When
those organizers appeared upon tbe
streets they were met by the derisive
inquiry, "'How is your Farmers' Oil-
ion?"
Not only so, but an adverse organi-
zation was started, its forms being
copied as nearly as possible from
those of the Union It was short-
lived, however. The Americm peo-
ple have the faculty of detecting a
counterfeit, whether it be imitation
coin, imitation butter or an imitation
organization. Why take the shadow
when one may secure the substance?
Why be content with a copy when
the original may be had at 'he -ame
price?
Despite all thise drawback-, the
Union rapidly grew. As a result ot
this growth the unfriendliness dimin-
ished. It should be stated, in justice
I to the merchant class in the towns
! and cities, that when they came bet-
ter to understand the objects of the
organization, they saw less therein
for criticism. At present some of the
most ardent supporters of the move-
ment are to be found among this very
: class As was the case with the Alli-
ance. the sunshine of success melted
the ice of opposition. The glamor of
prosperiy has an enchantment for the
worldly minded, just as truth has for
men of principle. The cause that is
just wins those who love justice, but
| after it becomes strong it also wins
those who love the thing thai is in
fashion. Right may not have so many
| followers for its own sake, but let
those make it the vogue and it can
| not count its votaries.
A t the present time there are farm- j
I ers' unions in every Southern state,
| and in some of the states and ttrrito-
I ries of the North.
To show the growth of the Farmers'
adopted the same name that has been I payers in this county don't propose
so popularized by the bodies belong- t i let a single one of you get any
ing to the American Federat on of j vhere near the public crib. Your
Labor, with the result that the wo; k-j tribe is too hard to fatten. There
ers in the shops and those in tlie ! seems to be no letup to you in your
fields are alike .suown as "Union I demands for increased taxation with
men." This tak^fi on a double mean- each succeeding year you are at the
ing now that fraternal relations are public crib. You seem to be possessed
thus being established between the | of the King George the III. idea
two great armies of wealth pro-1 "Make taxes so high that subjects
ducers. It will be remembered that can do nothing else but think how to
the greatest political upheaval in raise money to pay them." In the
our recent history toot place as the palmy days of the reign of the im
result of the joining of forces of two j mortal M. L. Dixler the tax payers
similar organisations of farmers and in this county rebelled and made him
workingmen, tl.e Alliance and the ! and his tribe take to the tall tirnbei
Knights of Labor And while we are ! because they deemed $4.00 on tin
assured that neither the Federation 1 $100.00 an exorbitant tax rate, an i
nor the Farmers Union will go into now you have it about $6.00 or $7.0)
partisan politics, the fact that they' on the *100.00 valuation. One old
stand for similar principles, and the time Democrat in Norman, possesse I
farther fact that the individual mem- of some wealth, came to us the other
bers of both bodies are bound in time day and said: "What am I to do/
to vote as they believe, and to see
that the spirit of their principles are
incarnated in the body of our laws,
these facts, I say, render this double
movement the most hopeful of our
time The true interests of all work
They want as much for taxes as I can
get interest on my money on real es
tate loans." 1 told him if he intend
ed to continue voting the Democratic
ticket in this county that the only
way out I could suggest to him was
• i s are one. When tbe producers join to go sell all his goods and give to
hands, the day of the exploiter will the poor, for this is the only honor-
be over, and tbe sun will rise on a
better era
The Farmers' Union is founded on
the bed-rock principle underlying all
democratic government—that the
people must do for themselves. Pop-
able way I knew by which he coul l
escape from the trouble he seemel
to be in over the tax rate.
RIGHT MAN IN PLACE
In the development of Territorial
ular rule is the best rule because it institutions, where tlie responsibility
calls forth the latent capacities of of the "man behind" accounts in a
man. Every democratic era in the great measure for tbe success, if
history ot the world has been follow- there is one man that is deserving of
ed by invention, progress and pros- commendation and hearty support, it
perity, for the reason that it brought is David It. Boyd, tlie president of
out the individual initiative, inherent Oklahoma University. The utiiver-
power and the native ability of the sity l.as built up in a wonderful man-
masses. Through self-government ner. in spite of the handicaps owing
they learned self-reliance. Men grow to the fact that this is a territory,
physically strong by exercising their
muscles, mentally strong by exercis-
ing their minds, ar,'1 nationally srong
by exercising, ea:h for himself, the
functions of sovereignty The best
one man rule is thus- worse than the
poorest popular rn'e, for the reason
that if the mass of men depend on a
king or oligarchy the, own strength Ferguson
and ability become atrophied. The
kindest thing a p r -nt can do for a
boy at a certain -1age is to throw
him on his own resources. As with
the boy, so with a nation of men.
Make them dq for themselves, gov-
I ernmentally and otberw'-e, and it
j brings into activity all that is bett
j in them. Beside- j'jerty coines only
! to those who strive to attain it. The
and now ranks among tbe best of
western schools. Its success lias been
phenominal and it may be unhesita-
tingly accredited to President Boyd,
who is a fitting example of tbe right
man in the right place. -Watonga
Ite publican
Eminently correct you are, Go
These were given by Mr.
J. D. .Montgomery, state organizer
for Texas, about six months ago.
i Thsy show the number of chartered
I unions in each state at tne time:
| Texas 3250
Oklahoma 1400
Arkansas • 1350
Louisiana .Th)
Georgia 175
Alabama 161
Missouri 4!)
Mississippi 4S
Tennesse 39
• _ I farmers will never enjoy their rights
. Union, a few figures may not be out j u|Uil lhty „ecure ,ho,e
I of place. These were given by Mr. ! , r .
I , . . . . Ihe need of the nation is that the
.1 I) \"nnt irnini rv afai i nnrtinlvor i *"«* . ■«v.
people shall do for themselves; that
they shall do their >wn legislating
through the initiative and referen-
dum; that they shall do.their own
banking rather than leave it in pri-
To Open to Settlement.
The bill providing for the openii
to settlement of tbe big pasture am
other Indian land in Comanct
county passed the lower house o
congress last Wednesday The bi!'
provides for sale of land by sealec
bids or public sale as determined by
Secretary of Interior at a minimuc
price of $1 50 per acre purchaser to
pay for same in live annual pay-
ments. The bills opens to settlemen
505,000acres of land.
Burned to Death.
Miss Lenna King, niece of Mrs.
Henrietta Wintin of this city, way
burned too death at lier home nea
vate hands: that they shall control Arkansas City last Tuesday. She
and own their means o! transports- was burning grass in yard when he:
tion rather than delegate these to clothing caught fire. Miss King
selfish interests; that they shall do visited in this city about 2 years ago
away with special privilege and keep with her aunt and cousin Miss Leota
their own power :■ their own bands Wintin.
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Allan, John S. The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 14, No. 34, Ed. 1 Friday, March 2, 1906, newspaper, March 2, 1906; Norman, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc117961/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.