186 Cooperation in Agriculture 



members, with an organization in each state in which it 

 operates, with subsidiary county organizations and still- 

 smaller subdivisions called "local unions." 



The Farmers' Union is a fraternal, educational, social, 

 and business organization. It is a secret organization with 

 signs and passwords. It adopts a legislative program, urg- 

 ing that Presidents, Senators, and Supreme Court justices 

 be elected by direct vote of the people, and it pushes other 

 reforms which it believes to be in the interest of the people. 

 Through corporations which it forms it operates ware- 

 houses, gins and fertilizer plants, purchases supplies, owns 

 newspapers, and engages in other business enterprises. 



The first local union was formed in Texas in 1902, the 

 national organization was formed in 1905, and in 1909 it 

 had state and local organizations in Alabama, Arkansas, 

 California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, 

 Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, 

 Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ore- 

 gon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. 



The Charter. The principal features of the charter 

 of the Farmers' Union follow : 



1. The name of the Corporation shall be "The Farmers' 

 Educational and Cooperative Union of America." 



2. The purpose for which it is formed is to organize and 

 charter subordinate Unions at various places in Texas and the 

 United States to assist them in marketing and obtaining better 

 prices for their products, for fraternal purposes, and to cooper- 

 ate with them in the protection of their interests ; to initiate 

 members and collect a fee therefor. 



Principles of the Union. The principles of the Farmers' 

 Union are set forth in the following declaration : 



