The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-12-13

have ret TO decide whether ID settle
the land ownership probiem b. ID
| operation or by government assist
anee This is the most important qiIes
ton before the country today II il
a question that directly affects troi
production Tie fafne, IN Tie one
most directly concerned tllsl be fore
most III the solution YET III. is I,y III
means the only one affertssi fht
! prosperity of the whole nafian Is Iii
rectly concerned for the nations food
supply is hanging in the balance
Ii the high prices impress upon the
country the fact that national pros
perity depends as much upon the pros
perity of the farmer as upon that of
the manufacturer. the farmers exist
ence will be justified The day of a
government of The people. by the farm
ers. for the cities. is at an end The
farmer must be considered in legisla
ton He will force consideration of
his interests He Is already demand
ing his rights
There need be no fear of the farmer
domination of government In this coun
try Our territory is too large and our
interests too varied At the same time
all indications point to the fact that
business domination must end If
business cannot thrive without special
favors from legislatures 1t would bet
ter be left TO exc out a sickly exist
ence. The truth is it can thrive on the
same treatment that is melted out to
the rest of the citizens of the United
States
Fair legislation will not hurt bust,
ness 1t may hurt some of the over
fattened parasites who hide behind
the shelter of business and raise the
cry of panic every time a reform is
proposed If II does. so much the bet
ter The world can do without them
very well. The city harbors too many
people whose right to live is not based
upon anything they have ever done for
society. 1t is to the country statesman.
with views unbiased by the intoxica-
ton of luxurious living, that we must
look for the initiation of this great re-
form. His innate sense of justice will
not be satisfied with the shadow of re-
form. His natural conservatism will
prevent radical steps that defeat the
purpose of reform. Under his guild
ance the details of popular govern
ment will be worked out to a success
full conclusion. Government by spe
cial interests must end Real repre-
sentative government will take its
place The short ballot. the direct pri-
mary and the initiative and referen
dunn are all steps to that end Any
thing that will make machine rule
more difficult and popular rule more
simple is for the general good
Most of the problems of popular gov
ernment are still to be worked out
No one can forsee the exact trend
which popular government will take
There are several influences at work
however. which show in a measure the
tendency of the times. 1t is not likely
that the government of the United
States will develop a paternalism
which some other countries call gov
eminent by the people. There is too
much individualism about the Amer
lean people for that. While the Cana
dian farmers have been actively cam
paigning for government ownership of
elevators. the farmers of the United
States have solved the grain trust
problem through cooperation. While
the agitation for the postal savings
bank has been sweeping over the coun-
try. the farmer has never actively de
manded that the government go into
the banking business He is not averse
to the idea of safe depository where
the laborers of the cities can deposit
their savings He admits that postal
savings banks may be a convenience
in some communities and may be the
means of bringing boarded money into
For the most part, how
ever, be is satisfied with his co-opera.