The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-02
FARMERS To URGE
LEGISLATION

ST. Louis, Mo-, May 2.-The eyes
of politicians throughout the coun-
try will turn this week toward st.
Louis, where representatives OF 10,-
100000 farmers are to meet in con-
vention to discuss needed state and
national legislation and to establish
bureaus at different capitals to see
that the demands of the farmer are
heard and to devise means of making
the farm more attractive so that the
proposed solution of the economic
problem of today-'back to the farm
may be made possible"
The gathering, which will begin
its sessions tomorrow, is to be held
under the joint auspices of the Farm
ers' Educational and Cooperative
Union of America, which comprises
Twenty-Five compact state organiza-
tions with an aggregate membership
of 100000, and the American So
ciety of Equity, with membership
of 100000. Other farmers organ
izations with memberships amount
ing to more than 100000 have been
invited to participate in the delibera-
tons.
If for no other reason, the conven-
ton would attract wide attention be-
cause of the large number of emil
nent speakers who are to be heard.
The list is headed by President Taft,
who has accepted an invitation to
address the convention Wednesday.
Other men of national prominence
who will be heard are Senators Gore
and Owen of Oklahoma, Governor
Hadley of Missouri, Secretary of Ag-
riculture Wilson, Col. John Temple
Graves Of New York, Thomas Watson
of Georgia, and Congressman Can
trill. The commissioners of agricul-
ture of a number of the Southern
and Western states will also be in
Guided among the speakers.
But the real Importance of the
convention is believed to lie in the
fact that 1t will mark the debut of
the American farmer as a politician.
President Barrett of the Farmers
Union emphatically denies that his
organization has any intention OF
joining in the formation of new po-
litical party. Notwithstanding this
denial it is recognized by all that the
work of organizing the farmers, es-
pecially in the South and West, has
made such strides in the last few
years that the Farmers Union is GER
tain to be forced to the front politi-
cally, and that even If the union does
not carry the primaries or elections
and secure the offices it will never
theless be able to compel the polite
ians and officials to adopt its views
on agricultural and economic Ques-
lions.
History does not record more
phenomenal growth than that OF the
Farmers Union. The organization
was first formed in Texas in the early
zoos and started its career with a
| membership of ten persons. Today
| 1t covers all of the states OF the
South, the Southwest and large Sec
ton of the West and his millions o!
signed members. AS an organization
it has so far managed to steer clear
of political entanglements. The lead
ersstill insist that politics be barred
but their statements are not reassur-
ing to the leaders of the old poliit-
cal parties. who realize that the or
ganization Is similar in many res
poets to the old Farmers Alliance,
which swept Kansas and Nebraska
out of the republican column, and
which was the forerunner of the pop
ulist party. The politicians remem-
Der how the leaders of the Farmers
Alliance twenty years ago pledged
the people that there would be no
politics in the. organization. Nor
have they forgotten how Jerry Simp-
son, Senator Pfeffer and others took
advantage of the movement.
If the Farmers Union goes into
politics and wins-and many keen
observers believe such will be the
case-the country is likely to see far
more radical legislation in the line
of Socialism than ever before, for
the state credit of state money will
be pledged to finance the cotton and
other crops, to erect warehouses for
their storage, and to control, If not
operate, the mills and elevators. Leg
islation will be asked not only of the
states but of Congress also to aid the
farmers. The first of the laws that
will be asked for will be statute
closing the cotton exchanges and
boards of trade and making it fell
ony to speculate in cotton, wheat and
similar products of the soil.
T, addition RI LEGISLATION abolish