The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-04

enjoy what legitimately belongs to ii
This requires intelligent, aggressive
united action. I here make no sugges
ton in favor of promoting any unfai
advantage. / refer TO natural right
to what is just and equitable.
No class in America today is NOR,
/ vitality interested In tie square DEAF
! than farmers. No class enjoys a bet.
4 ter opportunity to enforce the "squar,
DEAF, with less suspicion of selfish.
ness or mercenary motive. And yet ne
Iclass in proportion to numerical
strength or financial interest is SO ut.
terly powerless-so completely at the
mercy of predatory influences.
Fortunes Accumulated Unjustly.
The. accumulation of vast fortunes
by undergrading grain and otherwise
specializing in agricultural products, in
watering stocks, adulterating, or false
| ly labelling goods, aid in giving short
weight or scant measure is not only a
menace to the public welfare but near
approach to robbery, pr4-ticed openly
and oftimes defiantly against the whole
people. The extreme difficulty of secur-
ing even a measure of protection to the
consuming public by legi lative bodies
should be sufficient proof of the
dangerous power of such conscience
+
the farmers of the nation, by united
action, could stand congress on ITS
head at any election.
Whatever business or economic re-
forms are necessary, therefore, must
be initiated and emphasized by those
industrial classes who, by nature of
their vocation, cannot so readily profit
by unfair methods, but who are first
to suffer on their account
On rrAnar11 ynrir nsv,fao 4t1
ton of vast wealth In few hands and
the power that may result from the
use of such wealth, especially when not
honestly accumulated cannot be esti-
mated; for it Is safe to presume that no
better ethics will be exercised in it's
use or final distribution than was ex-
ercised in its accumulation.
Farmers by united action, have the
power, hence the opportunity, to cure
these and many other economic evils
at least to direct the forces that breed
them into less harmful channels. Tho
methods employed in amassing inordi-
nate fortunes, in too many instances,
assumes the dignity If a moral issue
and as such the remedy cannot with
safety be relegated Wholly to profess
slonaI politicians. Neither should the
power to make and execute the laws
of the country be delegated too large
~ to a profession that by common con
sent loses neither cast nor honor when
defend1ng corruption and criminals
by every subterfuge and technicality
that ingenuity can devise.
am aware that DIT is highly i'm
proper to array lass against class or
TO create class prejudice. We lave all
been voluminously instructed on this
point by the men whose patriotism is
second only to their desire for political
offlce Farmers, however, in participat-
ing more personally and more unitedIy
IN governmental affairs can best serve
the general welfare, for t. cir interests
cannot easily run counter to the public
veal or endanger the principle, of
democracy. They must exercise the
1lscremon, however, of choosing their
even should their
choice quite frequently fall upon men
neither seeking office nor willing to
spend fortune to ; cure one.
BUSINESS and vocational integrity and
4 just appreciation of the needs Of All
other legitimate business enterprises
however large, If they are honestl--
conducted, should take precedence over
merely partisan victories.
National Organization.
An organization, national in scone |
would not be an over ambitious scheT,e |
or the purpose of unifying the inffu- |
snce and safeguarding the interests of /
vocation of such vast Importance ia |
he whole country. Subsidiary 10 ) no
lonal organiza tiCn-state county and
ocal organizations could readily he |
for, but sufficiently varied in |
character and flexible in purpose IN |
meet the agricultural needs of ever
section OF the union. The tobacco :,
grower, the cotton planter the breedersI
y livestock, and those engaged in /
81
culture, though differing widely in
agricultural methods that must be en-
'loyed and market conditions IL r
must be fostered, yet fundamentally
heir interests are mutual. All suffer
more or less because the far end q
helr business is regulated for them
M their prohts absorbed at the pleas
re or unsympathetic operators. The
armers profit, measured by profits ex
cted by those operating beyond the |,
arm is seldom, Of ever, so large N
ropcrtton TO the capital he has in
ested, the labor he performs and the I.
isk ne assumes, as theirs and rarely
S certain.
Some of the specialized divisions of
grculture have already projected sys-
ems OF distribution which have proved
lgniy gratifying, and their success
mould blaze the way to broader eff
orts in other, but not less important
visions of agriculture.
Inc Grange. the American Society of
iquity, The Farmers Educational Co
perative Union Of America, the Farm
rs National Congress- and numerous ,
Their organizations for social. eCIuca- :
onal or protective purposes have been
rected In different parts of tbs coun- ,
", but they are so unrelated to each /,
Their. save perhaps in sympathy. that :
real effective agricultural brother J
God, embracing all farmers. can be !
ald to exist. Neither has the business :
agriculture, save in few instances.
cen carried far enough to reach the )
onsumer, or even to eliminate the :
speculator. Farmers have :
OF yet seen fit to manage the business
I'D of their vocation-the end farthest :
'moved from the soil--kut where the :
argin of profit, in reality, is de- :
The law of supply and de- :
and should freely operate but should =
ot be manipulated by an.agonistic or !
lrely speculative interests.
Farmers Not Dangerous Element. a
To encourage by rganization, I.
-mpathetfc and business unity of the