The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-10-26
Farmers Assn. Support Only
Candidates Who Are Friend
ly to Their Demands.
HON. JOSEPH W. FORDNEY
Endorsed by Allied National Agricul-
tural Associations Of America.
The American Ship and Its Influence
ON Agriculture.

AS the representative of a number of
National Agricultural Ass ociations who
have agreed on certain Demands"
which We deem of vital interest to the
Industry Of Agriculture, l have been
assigned the task OF communicating
with each congressional nominee and
itscertaining their attitude on these
great national measures that have to
do with the permanent prosperity of
The farmer, on whose prosperity near
ly all interests depend.
Among these Demands" which we
believe rise away above the narrow
confines of political partisanship are
two measures which We deem most
necessary to achieve the results which
their enaction into law will achieve for
the industry of agriculture.
Extension of Our Foreign Markets.
Among these demands of the farmer
Is the extension of our Foreign mar
kets which We must get to consume
the surplus crops of the farmers, and
on this question we find an Official ex-
preston from the candidates Of all
parties which makes this Demand" al
most unanimous.
Build American Ships,
The second Demand" the building
of American ships, is very much mis-
understood, and consequently much
difference of opinion exists as to ways
and means to accomplish the restora-
ton Of our Merchant marine.
In public discussions of this great
national project there is unanimuos
desire of all citizens from all political
parties to restore our Commerce as
quick as possible.
But when We get down to specific
propositions to accomplish these ends
partisan strife is arrayed against each
other with no other motive to urge
their activity than desire to destroy
the measure offered by the opposing
political party, and thus through the
partisan zeal of the contending politi-
cal parties the farmers interest is
made the football of political OK
pediency, and between the two parties
he is left the helpless victim of the
blind partisan zeal and strife of both
parties, the failure Of enacting any
laws in the farmers interest.
With these measures thus prospect
i've, one party offers to remedy this
by offering to place a ship subsidy
bill which will aid in restoring our
American ships, etc. The other party
is just as prompt in denouncing this
measure because it comes from their
opponents.
While the opposition party is willing
TO offer an export bounty bill to be
paid to the farmer direct, which en-
lists the hostile opposition OF
the opposite party, through the
zeal of both parties to he the real
friend of the farmer he is fed on
promises, while every other Industry
is enjoying lavish protection and pros
perity the farmer must be content to
plod along in hopeless despair of ever
getting any relief because of the blind
partisan zeal of these two friends,
who would rather see him starve than
that either one should have the ad-
vantage of being the one who gave
rim legislation that would make his
Industry prosperous, and thus the
Farmer must be content with the pros
bect of olive horse and get grass"
The farmers associations do not
bare through which route legislation
BONES, but have decided that legisla-
sion must come through some route,
ind we have declared that we will
support any candidate who will
got support these measures which will
bring these results quickest.
Export Bounty.
Therefore we were obliged to choose
between q ship subsidy or an export
bounty, and with that prospect in
view / was elected Executive agent
of several farmers societies to at
tend the sessions of congress and &C
uuaint myself with the fact and pos
sibilities of securing promptly legisla
ton in favor of restoring our American
commerce, and found that an export
bounty bill to pay to the farmers di-
rect was "Unconstitutional," willie
bill proposing to pay an export
bounty to other industries as we'll as
agriculture and he given to the ships
of all nations would not restore the
American commerce or build Ameri
can ships.
Thus we found the export bounty
proposition surrounded with such OBJ
stacles and impediments that we had
10 abandon this plan entirely.
The next proposition the farmers
representative advocated was a ship
subsidy bill, to pay American ships
for the freight actually carried, which
we found was also impracticable and
prohibitive, as it was in conflict with
treaties with nearly every nation we
were trading with. Thus this PROPOSE
ton had to be abandoned as i'm
practicable or else it would involve
the abrogation of these treaties, after
q years notice TO the nations affected.
which would mean several years of
waiting before anything definite would
he done, and would involve the posi-
bility of inserting other retaliatory
measures, which would he as harmful
TO the farmers interests as the adj
vantage secured by amending the
treaty as above outlined.
Then it was found that the only
way which we could get around all
these obstacles was through a meas
ure drawn which for want of any other
name 1 call the "Speed and Capacity"
ship subsidy bill.
The Frye-Payne Bill.
I found a bill known as the Frye
Payne ship subsidy bill before cou-
gress, which on examination 1 found
was aimed entirely to benefit ship
builders and ship owners, and was not
In the interest Of the farmers. found
that we had to 'fish or cut bait" aud