The gold leaf., 1910-08-11
FARMERS UNION NOT A TRUST.
Hon. Edward w. Pou Defends Organi-
zation from the Charge rlade on
Floor of Congress by Mr.. BouteIl of
Illinois.
Raleigh News and Observer.

! Every time a demand is made to
secure effective laws to end robbery
by the trusts, some apologist for the
trust comes forward in opposition by
suggesting chat the proposed legisla-
ton might hurt the labor unions
or the farmers organizations. The
Standard Oil trust was convicted in
Texas, but nobody has heard of any
labor union or farmers organiza-
ton being hurt by convicting this
trust. A trust is essentially a monop-
oily dictated by a few and has no re-
lation to a labor franchise organiza-
ton. In the expiring hours OF the
last Congress, Mr.. Boutell, OF Chica-
go, the ablest Republican in the
House from Illinois, not even except
ing Cannon, took occasion to assert
that the Farmers Union was trust.
Hon. Edward w. Pou, of the Fourth
Congressional District, briefly replied
to Mr.. Boutell and said:
"Before the fall of the gavel ends
this session of the Sixty-frst Congress
wish to call attention to the atti-
tude OF the party in power with re-
spect to prosecutions under our So
called antitrust laws. Before the
next regular session convenes the
people of the nation will have decided
at the ballot box whether the next
House of Representatives shall be
controlled by the party which is in
control now.
In the first place [ think it cannot
be denied that the party in power
prefers to hold the Sherman law as
suspended sword over the head OF or
ganized labor. Until very recent
years nobody ever dreamed that a
law drawn to make monopoly illegal
could be so construed that laboring
men could be sent to Jail for uniting
in a common demand for higher
wages. 1t is said that the Trainer OF
the law himself declared that it had
no such purpose, and we all know
how President Roosevelt urged that
it be amended.
'The party in power has had a
working majority in this chamber
and in the Senate since the first
day of this Congress. You cannot
go before the people and plead lack
of power or opportunity. You have
had the power. You have had the
opportunity. You have both now.
If you permit this law to remain as
it is, if hereafter men shall be put in
prison for peacefully striving in har
mony to better their condition and
secure higher wages, the country will
know where to put the blame.
"And today the attitude of the
same party, was made manifest in
another respect. We all know. Mr..
Chairman, who are the real leaders
OF the Republican party in this Cham
Der. We know that the distinguish
ed gentleman from Illinois (Mr
Boutell) is one of these leaders.
To-day he has suggested that the
Farmers Union, composed, am told,
OF more than 100000 farmers, is
as liable to prosecution under this
Sherman law as the members OF
the beef trust or meat trust. Our
distinguished friend sees no differ
ence in an organization of 100000
farmers uniting to procure a fair
price for the commodity which they
produce and less than dozen CAPT.
talists putting together their great
fortunes in one common fund to con-
troll the price of something which no
one of them has turned a hand to
produce. Did anybody ever hear of
the farmers OF this nation expressing
anybody? Who ought to permitted,
anyway, to fix the price Of a bale of
cotton, for instance, unless it be the
man who produces it? submit that
is right which no power can take
away. When have sthe farmers
been able to secure such prices for
their product as has made any con-
siderable number of them rich?
Chow many farmer millionaires-
men who get their millions from what
they actually produce-has this gen
tleman from Illinois in his State?
How many farmer millionaires of
this kind has he heard of in the entire
nation?
"H the gentleman from Illinois was
serious in his suggestion, and certain
ly he seemed to be serious, the coun-
try should know what the attitude
OF his party is with respect to this
great question. If he was not serious
in his suggestion OF the liability of
the Farmers Union to prosecution,
then his purpose must have been to
ridicule the efforts of those who would
bring to justice the great concerns
which are believed to be violating the
law. 1t is not denied hatsomebody
gets exorbitant profits out of many
things the people are forced to buy.
A committee Of Congress has been
spending much time in attempting
to fix the blame.
Every housekeeper in the land
knows that something is wrong. The
workers of the nation may expect to
be prosecuted if they unite to get
higher wages, and now it is suggest
ed that the Farmers Union should
be prosecuted also. Whether the
real violators OF the law, the men
whom President Roosevelt SO vigor-
ously denounced, are to be prose
cuted, we are not told. Surely they
are doing business at the same old
stand today.
Recent history has made manifest
the intention OF the party in power.
Supplemented by the suggestion to-
day of the gentleman from Illinois,
nobody need be left in doubt"
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