The nonpartisan leader. [volume], March 15, 1920, Image 3

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

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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In the interest
of a square deal
for the farmers
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To further complicate the situa
tion came the Federation of Farm
Bureaus, first by states and then a
federation of the state organizations.
This body, as^ represented by its
president, J. C. Howard, is in general
harmony with the program of the
average chamber of commerce. It is
flatly opposed to union labor, to pub-
Jlic
ownership or operation of rail
roads, and to any proposal of an alli
ance for common economic and polit
ical action by the town and farm
workers.
CONFERENCE HELD AT
DES MOINES, IOWA
Progressive farm leaders, witness
ing the confusion which has been
caused by this division of counsels,
called a conference at Des Moines
for February 16, and there formed a
committee to take steps to bring
about an amalgamation of the pro
gressive farmer forces under the
name "United Farmers of America."
There were present C. H. Gustafson,
president of the Nebraska State
Farmers* union J. Weller Long, for
mer secretary-treasurer of the Amer
ican Society of Equity M. V. Perry,
secretary of the Iowa branch of the
Society of Equity C. B. Ballard,
Wisconsin branch, Society of Equity
J. C. Lamborn, president, and J. P.
JXi$sk, iv.z-.
Washington Bureau,
Nonpartisan Leader.
ONGRESSMEN and administrative offi
'cials who are honestly anxious to
know what the organized farmers of
the United States want, in the way of
governmental policy, are immensely
relieved at the word brought ttack
here from Des Moines of the decision reached in a
conference there to get a wholly new alignment of
farmers. Progressive farmers are to be brought
into one organization, and the farm organizations
whose national officers follow the leadership of rail
road lobbies, packej- lawyers or militarist and anti
labor propagandists will be left to flock by them
selves.
For years past when a spokesman for the Farm
ers' union or the Grange or the Society of Equity
or the Dairymen's league came before a committee
of the house or senate, no member of the commit
tee could be sure, unless he were acquainted with
the views of the individual, whether he would de
fend or assail the federal trade commission, or how
he would stand toward public operation of the rail
roads or on other public questions.
Gradually the legislators came to un
derstand that if the man spoke for
the National Grange he would be re
actionary that if he spoke for the
Washington state Grange or the
Michigan state Grange, on the other
hand, he would be liberal. So with
the Farmers' union—if the national
officers spoke there would be a very
soft pedal on certain economic re
forms, while if some of the state
Farmers' union officials appeared,
these economic issues would be
sharply emphasized.
UOSH
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FORTH
DAKOTA
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Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week
VOL. 10, NO. 11. WHOLE ftUMBER 234 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, MARCH 15,1920 $2.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
Farmers' Organizations in New Lineup
Progressives Threaten to Break Away From Reactionary
Leaders Who Misrepresent Them
Doyle, secretary of the Farmers' union of Illinois
George P. Hampton, managing director, and Ben
jamin C. Marsh, secretary, of the Farmers' Na
tional council H. O. Folkestad, secretary, Montana
branch, Society of Equity F. A. Bennett, Montana
branch, Society of Equity H. A. Fuller, Minnesota
branch, Society of Equity Oscar H. McGill, secre
tary All American Farmer-Labor Co-operative com
mission O. F. Rettig, Wisconsin branch, Society of
Equity J. O. Shroyer, director Nebraska Farmers'
union William C. Bouck, master Washington state
Grange J. F. Barber, C. D. Satterfield and J. R.
Hammond, directors, and George D. Baker, presi
dent of the Farmers' union of Iowa T. A. Haugas,
vice president Farmers' union of Iowa 0. F. Dorn
blazer, Texas Farmers' union E. L. Nickel, secre
tary United Farm Organizations of Iowa.
Messrs. Shroyer, Bouck, Lamborn, Folkstad and
Fuller were chosen as the committee on constitu
tion and bylaws. They reported resolutions which
outlined the purpose of the new organization as
being the removal of "autocratic control over the
destinies of farmers by real organization of those
who till the soil in the interest of the social, polit-
IF YOU ARE A GOAT, BE A LIVE ONE
•/£&
ORTH
UNO^ppI0
—Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris.
Morris writes: "Farmers' replies to the postoffice department's questionnaire
show that they feel they are being ma^e the goats under present conditions."
In North Dakota, however, they have the Nonpartisan league goat, which is not
to be led about tamely at the end of a string. As the story on this page
shows, farmers in other states are feeling much the same as in North Dakota.
PAGE THREE
A magazine
that dares to
print the truth
ical and financial welfare of the farmer, believing
that the time is at hand when the farmer should as
sume control of his own affairs." Also that "We
declare our object to be the upbuilding of the farm
ers through co-operative effort."
Mr. Gustafson was made chairman of the com
mittee of seven charged with the duty of organ
izing the new amalgamation. H. L. Bissonnette,
president of the Iowa branch, Society of Equity,
was made vice chairman, with J. Weller Long as
secretary-treasurer. The other members of the
committee are Messrs. Fuller, Hampton, Lamborn
and McGill. Their duty will be to poll the mem
bership of the various farmer organizations to se
cure agreement upon a definite method of co-ordi
nating their activities and securing a closer union
between them.
REFERENDUM VOTE BY
STATES IS PROPOSED
In the opinion of some of the parties to the Des
Moines conference the membership of the Grange,
the Equity and the Farmers' union in mapy of the
states will decide to leave their parent bodies and
join the United Farmers of America.
Whether this will be done—if at all
—by a referendum vote in each or
ganization in each state, whereby the
majority will take the minority along
with them, or whether the minority
will -be left in control of a pro rata
share of the assets of the old organ
ization is a point not yet worked out
definitely. If a very large majority
in a state organization votes for af
filiation with the new body, ways and
means will be found which will make
the transfer possible.
The North Carolina Farmers'
union has withdrawn from the Na
tional Farmers' union. For some
time threats have been heard of
similar withdrawal of other state
Farmers' union organizations from
their national affiliation due to dis
agreement upon policy. The situa
tion has been growing steadily more
acute in the Grange, whose western
membership has been strongly op
posed to the return of the railroads
to private operation, while the Na
tional Grange officers, using the
funds furnished in part by these
western members, came to Washing
ton and lobbied for the return of the
roads to private hands. The decision
to break away was reached when
the National Grange, National Farm
ers' union and Federation of Fo/in
Bureaus' officials, with the heads of
four other bodies claiming to repre
sent farm interests, issued a procla
mation ridiculing the proposal that
farmers and town wage-workers join
-political forces for common ends this
year.
This new alignment is an affirma
tion that the real farmers are in
hearty accord with the American
labor movement and that farmer and
town worker are going to join forces
—political, economic, industrial—to
rid the country of profiteering and to
build an effective co-operation.
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