Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1907 — 700,000 UNION FARMERS. [ARTICLE]

700,000 UNION FARMERS.

An Organization Which Has Become a Power in the West. History does not record a more phenomenal growth than that of the Farmers’ Union, an organization born in Texas a little more than four years ago, and which began operations with a membership of ten persons. To-day it has a membership of more than 700,000, covering every Southern State and spreading into six States located north of the Mason and Dixon line. Its members declare that it has already accomplished what no other organization has ever been able to do —that is, it has the cotton situation of the United States well in hand and under the most thorough control. It has accomplished this through the careful education of itp members, and its power and influence is constantly increasing. It is believed that within a brief period it will be able to thoroughly control the marketing of all agricultural products and largely eliminate the middleman from the situation, enabling the farmer instead of the speculator to step in and control the markets. The first national headquarters were established at Emory, the homt of the president. They were subsequently moved to Point, thence to Greenville, and about fourteen months ago finally located at Dallas. Operations for two years after organization were confined to Texas, but since that time the organization has spread, so that at the present time State and local unions exist in all the Southern States and in lowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, California and Illinois.