Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-08-06
Farmers In Politics.
Sioux City Journal.

There lS an absurd and preposter-
ous inuendo about q good deal
that is said Of the farmer. 1t is i'm.
piled therein that he is about to go
into politics-as il he had not been
Tin politics" Why, the farmers con-
stitute the overwhelming majority
Of all political parties in the west.
Here in Iowa, for example, they
have q great majority, certainly OF
the republican party, aud probably
Of tho democratic party. They can
absolutely control the parties. They
have controlled both parties to Il
greater Or less extent. They can
dominate at the caucuses, in con-
vcntions and at the polls. 1t is
hardly putting it too STRONG to say
that in q quarter of a century in
Iowa there has not been u single
county convention OF either great
political party and no state conven-
ton, in which the farmers did not
have, or might not have had, a de-
cisive majority. And the farmers
have been in politics. They have
expressed themselves on the policies
which have been reflected by M
tional, state and mere local govern
ment. It is a sorry caricature which
those draw Of the American farmer
who depict him as a blind, ignorant,
helpless imbecile, victim Of superior
force and intelligence. All such
characterization is sheer insult to
the farmer and he should be the
first to resent it. There is no more
intelligent and independent class
than the farmers. This is demon.
,strated by the failure Of multitude
nous political attempts to gull them.
On account Of their great numbers
rs a class they have been the favor
tie object Of demagogues and time
servers, and the most elaborate and
plausible deceits have been spread
around them. But in the long run
these demagogic efforts have had
smaller success with farmers than
with any other class. Doubtless the
reason for this is The very fact, which
is obvious to oil intelligent farmers,
that as they are the majority Of the
great parties they can control to
their ends whenever a vital interest
Is really involved. And the infer
cnce is likewise obtrusive that If the
farmers, with a majority over
whelming in point Of numbers,
have been impotentin existing po-
litical organizations they would sue
ceed no better even if it were posi-
BILE to groupe them into a class
party. But that is absolutely inn
possible on any permanent basis,
for the reason that farmers Of differ
ent sections and often in the same
section have conflicting interests or
conflicting convictions as to their
interests. Farmer organization is
wise and profitable for many pur.
personalities for class political
purposes. Occasions arise when
farmers, protesting as a class, may
accomplish good results. When
these occasions arise, the grievance
for which they want remedy will
not be vague and indefinite, nor
will tho farmers have to call in the
Md of professional farmer lovers,
demagogues or self seeking agitators
to tell them what to do. Whenever
the farmers have q genuine interest
to b~eguarded, oi a purpose to be adj
vanced ns against the policy Of ex-
isting political organizations, that
interest or purpose will be so specif-
ic and obvious that there will be NO
doubt about it either among them
selves or all other classes.