The nonpartisan leader. [volume], October 28, 1915, Image 9

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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keting commission with subsidiary commissions in each state, uni
form standards for inspecting and grading all marketable pro
ducts, and renewed its allegiance to the initiative, referendum and
recall.
THE POWER OF POWER
HERE is a great power in power.
Turn that sentence over a few times and the sense of it
will appear.
The reason Tammany Hall is a powerful political organiza
tioa because it has power.
Any man with political ambitions knows that if he gets the
support of Tammany his election is assured. The reason he is
willing to submit his fate to that organization is because he
knows its power. He knows it can put him across.
Men will submit to an organization that is powerful rather
than fight it because they know its power. They know the
futility of opposition.
A powerful organization, a powerful corporation or a pow
erful and invincible politcial party need never "draft" men to
serve it. They will voluntarily throw themselves at its feet.
The great financial interests of this country have always
had armies and armies of men to do their biddings. Such inter
ests are powerfully organized with interlocking ramifications that
constitute the whole an impregnable force.
Not only are great financial interests powerful because of
their powerful organizations, but down through all the shades
of the smaller industries, through all the professions and in
cluding some of the trades, there is powerful organization.
Many of the fraternal and beneficiary lodges and societies
are very powerful politically. It is said that the Elks Lodge
cannot be successfuly prosecuted in this state for handling in
toxicating liquors because every judge in the state is an Elk.
The Agricultural industry is one of the most poorly organ
ized in the country. Indeed it is not organized at all. Some
^attempts have been made to organize it industrially and some
measure of success has been achieved. But politically the Amer
ican farmer is shot to pieces. As a result he has always been
the prey of those interests that were organized.
Every Political boss knows that if he can carry the farmer
element of the state he can carry the state.
These facts should drive home to the farmer the necessity
of effective organization. Let the farmers once get together and
they will control the destinies of the country. Let the farmers
(l THOUGHT WOUUD^
KEEP TH»S MONEY
AND COMPEL* THAT
RUBE TO SELL HIS
THE NONPARTISAN LEADER
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sSSt*
TROT OUT THAT
MONEY, THAT 15
FOR THE. FARMER
get together an they will smash the political, rings and pie
hunting gang into fragments. Let the farmers get together and
every politician in the country will be falling at their feet.
HOLD YOUR WHEAT VS. SELL YOUR WHEAT
ROM platform and press the farmers are advised to "hold"
their wheat.
Surreptitiously, from private offices, they are told to sell
it.
In other words these fatuous friends of the farmers blow
both hot and cold.
As proof of this the Leader is in possession of a letter, written
on the letter head of a certain North Dakota bank and signed by
the president of said bank, dated September 24, 1915, and ad
dressed to a farmer, which in part, reads as follows:
"Dear Sir: We should like to call your attention to a con
dition in the wheat market that we believe is not known to our
farmer friends and which should have their serious considera
tion.
"Europe needs about 550 million bushels of wheat between
now and the next crop."
Then follows a statement as to the amount of wheat that
the United States, Canada, Argentina, India and Australia will
produce.
Also a statement to the effect that 250 million bushels are
held in Russian ports on the Black Sea.
Then follows this ingenious statement:
"Great Britain can buy of Canada, Argentine, India and Aus
tralia, all of whom are her debtors."
"If .the Dardanelles should be opened in sixty days Europe's
need of 550 million bushels can be supplied without one bushel
from the United States.
"If the farmers generally hold their wheat in the belief of
a certain advance later on, it will be a mistaken policy."
The letter is a personalized circular. Which indicates that
more of them have been sent out. Indeed our correspondent, in
forms us that he has received a similar letter from a local mer
chant in his home town.
This is the kind of advice that is now given by these "friends
of the farmers." They are the same fellows who warn the farm
ers not to "sign any papers' 'nor pay out "any money" without
first consulting "your banker friend."
If it is dangerous for the farmer to hold his wheat, what we
would like to know is what the poor speculator who buys it is
going to do. He will probably hold it for $1.50 a bushel.
When you haven't got any wheat they tell you to "hold it."
When you have wheat they tell you to sell it.
PAGE NINE
WELL,MY POCKET
IS EMPTY, S'PO5.6
I'LL HAVE TO 5ELL.
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