Newspaper Page Text
Subscription Vates
Official Organ Ben Hill County.
Greater In Number, Than Ever In Its
History Farmers’ Union, Sav's Barrett.
Points One of tl\e Most Significiant Tendencies
in American Life Todav-To Perpetuate Their
Astounding Power For Upbuilding and Self-
Help, Members Must Follow Certain General
Principals.
To the Officer and Members of the Farmers’ Union: —
To my mind, one of the most significant facts in current Amer¬
ican history is that the Farmers’ Union is todav greater in member¬
ship than at any period since its founding. The producer in this coun-
is at last awakened to the necessity of organization. What this
ikios in the agricultural, the economic and the political life of the
lion is not easily estimate.
. From reports made me by state officials, and from my recent
travels which have embraced virtually every state organized, I find
more money in the stit*. treis irie3 and a greater paid up membership
than ever before. Tne memberships include residents of three fourths
of the states, and farmers of every grade, from tbe one-horse variety
on up t> the very wealthy individual. Xnroughout the rani and file
there is a new attitude toward the interests of the farmer, a new loy-
alty toward co-operation and an aggressiveness that is new in Ameri-
can organization.
It is essential, however, it the organization is to remain at top-
notch in numbers and efficiency.that both officers and members bear
in mind and practici certain broad principles. One of the first, is
the exercise of due care in the matter of leadership. The Farmers’
Union, like any other great body, whether religious, civic or other-
wise, has its rascals, its lukevarm brethrens, hypocrites and its snakes
in the grass. We are gradually shakiug them out of the organization,
and there are fewer in now than at any time. But the fight to keep
down this element must be an eternal one, if tne organization is to
succeed, permanently. K v n vorganization have, heretofore, made
slow progress because of tne pitiful scarcity of men who, in the first
place, really understood the farmer and who, in the second place,
were willing and ready to make sacrifices for him, in other words who
were willing to pay the price.
It is not sufficient that a leader be an excellent business man or
brainy, ns that word is generally understood. I can print you to
plenty of ordinarily able men brilliant men, in fact, who would make
an absolute failure in headiug a farmers’ movement, The leader who
steers a farmers’ oigaruz ition, and that means its various branches in-
deluding business enterprises, to success, must stand ready to be knock¬
ed down and dragged out by the brethren time and again, and then
come back again and serve them humbly, He must put health,
strengto and self-interest cheerfully on tbe altar for them, VYhen
the brethren go back o i the promises tne/ mide at a hallujah conven¬
tion, and they are apt to do that at any time, he must go along as if
nothing had ’mop me I an I believe they’d come right after awhile.
Tries* are only a vm-v ?\.,v of th * qualifications indispensable to
the leadership that must pero i,u ie to - , banners Union. I oelieve,
though, we are developing tin, class of leaders gradually, and I large¬
ly attribute tne pnenom m d lucremv 1 in membership to that fact. If
these traits are required f leaders, ir. is certain that qualities no less
positive are required of mem irr- genera;tv. 1 hey must exact loyalty
and a rigid aecmuntuig of h * leader, but tmev musu uphold his hands,
dismiss idle suspicions agMust mm, and resist the ever-lasting tempta¬
tion to kick out of the organization because it may have made one or
two failure's in t' pm locditv. A nienece that should be carefully
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SEMI-WEEKLY
Fitzgerald
FITZGERALD, BEN HILL COUNTY GEORGIA, MARCH 15, 1912.
New Official Seal
Clerk Of Court
Clerk D. W. M. Whitley has
made tbe Co ““ ty “ ™>ry unique
preseDt in th<! way an official
seal. The center of the seal bears
the profile of Senator Ben Hill,
for whom the county was named,
The seal was designed by Mr.
Whitley and made at his own ex-
pense. On every document to
which the clerk’s seal is affixed,
the features of the Senator are
portrayed.
Centred Christian
Chv/rch
Minister, Lewis C. Hammond,
March 17th.
Bible School 9:30 a. m.
Communion and sermon 10:45
a ni .
Christian Endeavor 6:30 p. m.
“Peoples Popular Service” 7:30
p. m. Half hours Musical (special
p r0 grame). Subject of seimon,
“Lamps and Lighters.”
and Everything helpful. bright, interesting
Just the thing for you. Come,
watched is the outside critic. Frequently, he is an old member who
became dissatisfied because he wasn’t elected to some little petty office,
or because of a private grudge against some officer or member, or be¬
cause things didn’t go just to suit him in his local. There has been
treachery, failure, weakness and all sorts of the sins he charges, in
the union. Nobody denies that. There havejbeen similar offenses in
every large organization, of whatever nature. Blit the man who
leaves the Farmers’Union, or any other association simply because its
members are not possessed of superhuman virtues; the man who re¬
fuses to do his share in solving the problems and lessening the hard¬
ships of his fellows because he finds they’re not angels—ought to go
out and associate with the animals. That’s about all he’s useful for.
We are, slowly, overcoming another fault that has weakened the
organization, and that is developing leaders whose sole ambition is to
use the influence they create in the Farmers’ Union to help them in
other lines. There are plenty of men I could name to you who have
joined the union with the deliberate intention of leaving it, after they
have built up fences for political prestige, for a commercial career;
or some other selfish end. This sort of leader must go. The only
kind who counts in the long run, is he who enlists for the entire war,
not for one battle, and who goes into a Farmers’ Movement not to
curry strength for himself, but to stay in the organization, growing
more useful as he learns more and has the foolishness hammered out
of him.
It is well in a year that promises to mark even higher membership
records than those now obtaining, that members bear in mind those
simple first rules. They are necessary, if we are to live up to our
mission, develop our highest usefulness and make our influence felt
in every field of activity in this country.
Union City, Charles S. Barrett.
Ga., March 14th, 1512.
New York Solid
For Underwood
WasHiNGTON, March—“New
York is practically solid for Rep-
reseDtatire Underwood for the
democratic nomination for the pre-
sidency and if the south will show
the north that they really want a
sonthern man nominated, there is
little doubt in ray mind that the
Empire State will send an under-
Underwood delegation to Balti¬
more,” said H. B. Varner, pub¬
lisher of The Lexington (N. C.)
Dispatch.
“While in the north I talked
with men from New York, Massa¬
chusetts, Vermont and New Hamp¬
shire,” continued Mr. Varner.
Underwood is conceded by all to
be the best qualified man of any of
the candidates so far mentioned.
Northern men do not raise the
question that a southern man can-
not be nominated and elected to
the presidency. Chief .1 ustice
White of the United States su-
P retne coui t, is not only a southern
U
This to my mind, conclusive
evidence that no one questions the
ability and fitness of a southern
man to the high office of president
of the United States.”
Street Paving Company
Broke Dirt Yesterday
The Alabama Paving Company,
of Birmingham, who have the
contract for paving four blocks in
the business section of the city,
are now here with a large force of
workmen, and on yesterday broke
the dirt at the corner of Pine and
Maine streets for the paving.
The Copeland-Inglis Shale Brick
Company have several car-loads of
vitrified brick already unloaded on
Pine street and there is every in¬
dication that the work will be
finished within the sixty days, as
stipulated in the contract.
Mr. J, R. Copeland, president
of the Paving Company is giving
the work his personal supervision
VV3.t0T vGrV J SCdPCG
In South Florida
Thomasville, March 13.—T. D.
Winn, who has just driven through
the country from Rockledge, Fla.,
where he has been spending the
winter on his orange grove, to
Thomasville, reports the condition
of the water supply in south
Florida as very different from
what is in south Georgia this win¬
ter. Mr. Winn states that until
he got within seventy-five miles of
Thomasville water was so scarce
that it was hard to find enough to
water his team. He even found
difficulty in buying it, as wherever
he stopped for the purpose the
people would tell him that they
were obliged to haul all they had,
both for family use and to water
their stock. Conditions through
that section of Florida are similar
to those that prevailed here last
year, and for several years previ-
ous everything being very dry
and parched. Not until he reach¬
ed the section around Madison,
Fla., Mr. Winn states, did he be¬
gin to find plentv of water. From
there on to Thomasville, however,
he had nothing to complain of as
to lack of moisture as the soil was
about as wet as it could be and all
streams full to overflowing.
Official Organ of Ben
Hill County. $1.50
a Year.
VOL. XVII. NO. 19
and has opened an office in Seanor
and Welders’ real estate office on
Pine street.
Mr. Copeland has an able corps
of assistants who are experienced
in paving streets and are well on
to their job. bplendid headway in
the way of excavations was made
yesterday, but the streets are
Hooded to-day as a result of the
heav y rainfall last night and this
morning, which makes work im¬
practicable. However, the paving
company will take advantage of
every “little dry spell'’ and if the
weather is the least bit favorable
there is no doubt that Fitzgerald’s
streets will soon be paved at an
early date.
The American
Woman’s League
.
The regular meeting of the Car¬
penter Chapter of the A. W. L.
was held at the Studio of Mrs. Ida
Newcomer, March 12.
After the regular business the
President instructed the Secretary
to read a letter from the Indus¬
trial Corporation of the League at
University City, asking the Chap¬
ter here to go into the “(jrum”
business and work up a greater
interest in this line of League.
After a lengthy discussion Sec.
read the number of full paid mem¬
bers which is fifty-five.
After adjournment all enjoyed
themselves by listening to music
by graphophone and social chat¬
ting.
All members make special effort
to be present at next meeting to
be held March, 26 3, p, m. at the
usual place.
Mrs. W. G. Smedley.
Secretary.
Fish Dinner
The Ladies’ Aid Society of the
First Methodist church will serve
a Fish Dinner at the W. R. C.
Hall Wednesday, March 20th.
Price of dinner, 25ct.
Mrs. Ed. Whitman, Sectv.