Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-11-23
ORGANIZING AGAINST
FOOD PRODUCERS
The Real Issue Which Confronts
North Dakota Farmers and
Business Men

Du0lllOi
The following letter from Senator
P. ]. McCumber to the residents of
North Dakota and every agricultural
state, deals with a subject that de-
mands immediate attention. The
letter should be read by every farm
er and business man and the subject
carefully considered before the next
primary election. 1t is not a parti-
san or political question, it is a
"question of bread and butter"
The letter was written in response
to a request for the senator's views.
from H. c. Plumley OF Fargo.
, Senator McCumber says:
Washington, D. c., Nov. 10, 1911.
I have yonr favor of the 30th ul-
timo in which you ask me to present
what I ueeIa to be the question Of
greatest interest to the agricultural
sections of the country in the coming
political campaign. I gladly avail
myself of the opportunity your let
ter affords me, of presenting to the
people of our state, which is purely
and wholly agricultural, and of all
the agricultural states, a matter of
not only grave moment to them, but
also the imminency Of a great and
threatened danger to the agricultural
interests of all the northern states.
The public speaker or writer is so
prone to exaggerate the Importance
of whatever may be the temporary
issue, and to so vehemently declare
that This or that is the greatest prob
lem the country has ever had to solve
that l hesitate to use an expression
50 much misused and abused even
when mighty problem is upon us.
Drt l feel that this thought should
not deter me from giving the actual
truth. I, therefore, state with as
much force as is in my power that
agricultural interests of the north
west and the food producing inter-
ests of the whole country are nearing
most critical period; that it is to-
day facing the greatest danger that
it aas ever had to meet; that In order
to avoid that danger the people of
every agricultural state should be
made to comprehend Its importance,
should make earnest and timely ef-
fort to meet it, and should enlist the
cooperation and active support of
all those who represent in congress
the agricultural states Of the union.
TIE ISSUE IS, SHALL THE FARM
ER, THE FOOD PRODUCER, SHARE
HIS HOME MARKETS WITH THE
FOOD PRODUCERS OF THE
WHOLE WORLD?
Shall he share this market which
he has developed with no little sa-
crifice with the foreigner who has
sacrificed nothing for it, who pays
no taxes to support our extensive
school system, who is charged moth
ing for the higher standard of living
maintained in this country, and who
owes no allegiance to it in time OF
need? Shall he compete with the
world in everything that he sells.
while customs duty is levied on
most of the things that he buys?
Reciprocity with Canada is dead
at present. But the spirit which
actuated the agreement and brought
1t into existence in this country is
not by any means dead. Let us not
for single moment deceive our
selves with the thought that Presi-
dent Taft originated the reciprocity
agreement. President Taft took the
necessary steps to crystalize into
law that which had grown to. be a
clamorous demand in all the large
cities of the country and which un-
doubtedly represented the sentiment
of the majority Of the people of these
cities. allude to the demand for
cheaper food products. The most eff
fective cry in, the world is the cry
for cheap food. Rents may increase
a hundred per cent; every other item
Of expense may advance accordingly;
our city extravagances may run riot,
and we will pour out our earnings
to meet those demands with little
hut let the cost of our
food advance ten per cent and an
alarm cry IL heard from one end Of
the country to another. II the farm
er's product advances TO keep pace
with the higher cost Of his lands