104 AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



great issues of the hour, and continue to follow blindly machine politi- 

 cians to the neglect of their own interest, they will continue to lose their 

 individuality, influence, and power in our political institutions, and be 

 wholly at the mercy of the soulless corporations that are now yielding 

 such an influence over our government. 



The very existence of our free institutions and republican form of 

 government, the very life and prosperity of the agricultural and laboring 

 people, depend largely, if not wholly, upon financial, land, and transpor- 

 tation reformation. It is a conceded fact that a republican form of 

 government lives alone in the hearts of the people ; and its destiny 

 depends entirely upon the purity of the ballot, and as this is in the hands 

 of every man, there can be no safety, except as is guaranteed by its 

 intelligent use. This is the fortress of our nation's strength ; and if our 

 order would reach that high degree of usefulness for which it was created, 

 it must, through a well-defined system of economic questions, produce 

 this intelligence and virtue, thus preparing our people for an intelligent 

 use of their franchise. 



When the dissolution took place of the two national bodies that com- 

 pose the Farmers and Laborers' Union of America, I found myself in a 

 very awkward and embarrassing situation. 



The responsibility of these two national bodies merged into one im- 

 perfect organization, with a defective constitution, and with demands 

 coming from the various States for organizers, new rituals, secret work, 

 and other printed matter, and having no funds in the treasury for defray- 

 ing expenses, and being compelled to draw upon my own private funds 

 for the defraying of all my office and official expenses, with considerable 

 division and dissension in some of the States, and having no executive 

 committee or supreme judiciary to share my responsibilities, I must 

 confess that it was with great forebodings that I assumed my official 

 duties. 



Among my first official duties was to appoint an executive committee, 

 composed of Brothers J. H. McDowell of Tennessee, G. L. Clark of 

 Texas, and J. A. Tetts of Louisiana. I also arranged with Brother 

 J. H. McDowell for the printing of 50,000 rituals and the new secret 

 work which were ready for distribution to State secretaries within 

 thirty days from the issuing of our official proclamation. 



During the two months of our organization, I have given the order 

 my very best efforts, availing myself of every possible means for the har- 

 monizing of the brotherhood in States where unity failed to exist, and to 

 perfect our organization. There were brethren who were ever ready 

 with their counsel and encouragement, which assisted me greatly in the 



