The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-01-20

righteously expect a profitable price
for every bushel Of grain, potatoes.
fruit, or whatever 1t may fbc, produced
from that SOIL IL you demand too
high price for your produce, you
are actuated by greed, unfair, unjust
and the cause of much suffering and
distress. A farmer Is too honest 10
be unjust. On the other hand, Ii the
price you actually receive for your
products Is too low. you claim you are
not we'll enough paid for the energy
you have expended in bringing the
products to market. Your claim is
right. What YOU desire, what every
fair minded farmer wants, is a price
that is profitable and equitable, one
that is neither too high nor too low,
but one that viii compensate or pay
him for every energy he has exerted,
every ounce of muscle he has used,
for the hard work he has done I'm
bringing natures products TO our
market. Now the question naturally
arises: How do you intend to get a
profitable or equitable price for what
you SELF Your prosperity is every
body's prosperity. 1t affects the law
yer. the business man, the coctor, the
professional man. You must first OF
all create demand-markets In coun-
tries-and know something Of the
prices abroad as well as at home. A
market system must be established at
home as well as abroad. 1t is evident
that you will have to do this collect
iveIy--as an organized body. Reports
OF crops in this and foreign countries
will be necessary SO that the farmer
may act judiciously in the planting
and marketing OF his produce. True,
the system is a difficult one, but 1t is
practical and can be done. Elevators
will be necessary in order to place the
marketing Of the products in the
hang Of the producer and not the
speculator.
However, before the American
farmer can expect a profitable price
for his produce, before he can es-
tablish a marketing system, before he
can build an elevator, he must rid
this nation Of the most gigantic evils
OF the age-one that for years has
been gnawing at the very heart of
true prosperity--and one that has
broken up more homes, wrecked more
lives and ruined more careers than
any modern day evil--the gambling
element OF the board of trade. This
organized body of the chosen few
foster speculation and license gam
bling. Both these devices are curses
to the country and contrary to the
very spirit OF God, of man and the
American doctrine Of citizenship.
Crops are sold months before they are
grown; the uncertainty of prices holds
the farmer in check and the poor soul,
because of ignorance, Is at the mercy
OF this tyrant of unjust power. The
speculator does not blister his mani
cured hands, or soil his tailor made
clothes to produce the crop, much less
to prepare 1t for the consumer. He is
the lazy-boned middIeman. He is the
king instead OF you. He dresses his
wife In silks and satins--you dress
yours in calico. He decorates his
home with oil paintings from Dres-
den--you have bare walls. He enjoys
the fruits of your labor and at your
expense This evil must be attacked
Organized and united the farmers can
do away with it. IL you tillers of the
vegetable gold push the price of your
products up and still permit this av-
aricious combine to exist, what is to
become OF the consumer, not the rich
man, but the man who tolls all day
for $3.50? What will become Of his
boy, his girl, his wife? They will suf-
fer, they will starve, and with thous-
ands OF others become discomfort,
desperate, band themselves together,
and riot more terrible than the
French revolution will result The
pillars Of society will weaken, a war
between the consumer and producer
will be waged. AS already stated,
1t will be bitter fight; but he, the
farmer, will win because he is right.
Not until the farmer has checked the
evil methods of this monster of So
ciety, not until he has perfected a
marketing system and built or con-
trolled elevators, will the age of true
prosperity dawn upon him. Other
problems will confront him, but he
will be better fitted to meet them all.
1.-THE government already has en-
acted laws relative to the purity of
food and the inspection Of meat. The
articles of food or drink you con-
sumo must not contain injurious or
deleterious Ingredients The meat
you eat must be derived from ami
mails free from disease at the time of
slaughter, the product must be pre-
pared in clean packing houses and
under sanitary conditions America
is no longer the dumping ground for
foodstuffs that cannot be used else
where.
"If legislation has been secured
along these lines, which affect the
existence of man, is there any reason
to believe that the American farmer
cannot have laws enacted which will
aid and assist his interests? Vast ap-
preparations from legislatures are
needed for the purpose of benefiting
and uplifting the profession to con-
tinue the splendid wor.i carried On by
tho experimental stations and ngri-
cultural colleges Of the country. In
certain sections of the country laws
are needed to establish equitable and
just rates In the shipment of grain,
stock and fruit, to make these rates
uniform and just, to give everybody
a square deal. regardless Of creed,
class and party. The farmer must in
terest himself in the legislative and
public questions Of the day. All ef~
feet him more or less.
There y one other grave evil
which Is bound to play an important
part in the great drama OF farm life. |
Cities have fought with 1t and through |
the aid of state and nation and have
cnrbed II and curtailed the evil Chill
dren under certain age are forbid
den to work In factories. Statistics
cleaned from labor reports show that
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