Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-11-16
living prices we pay for our food, ne

t living prices we pay for our food, ne
cessities.
r Another remedy is that of coopera-
, ton between producer and consumer.
Get these two close together and dis
, pense with the great army of middle
, men who must make excessive profits
in order to pay excessive rents on ex-
cessively high priced city property.
It IS travesty on the enlightenment
Of this century that nearly all pro-
ducts, food and manufactured articles,
increase in cost from 100 to 5000 per
cent oyer the producers charges be-
fore they reach the consumer. But as
] long as the city meat retailer must
pay $4,000 a month for a room sufti-
cient to keep a stock of $4,000 worth
of meat, he must make 1900 per cent
on his principle year, to pay for rent
alone, and as much more to pay his
other expenses and still make a liv-
ing for himself and family.
Send Them Back To The Farms.
How will you avoid this condition?
Get this army of middlemen back to
the farm. How will you do that?
Make farming as profitable as other
business. But how will that be &C
complished? Just let conditions alone
as they are and the farming interest
will soon take care of itself. Just
maintain good protection on farm pro-
ducts, and in few years when con-
sumption shall equal production, the
farmer will get price for his product
that will invite this rent laden meat
man and a hoard Of others to the farm.
Then the rents will go down; then
things will begin to equalize them
selves; then all products will cost less
in the cities.
But a false and unjust sentiment has
been created by the great press and
magazines of the country against, not
the exorbitant prices paid the middle
men for the products of human labor,
but against the producers of those
products who for the most part make
but meager profit, and we must meet
that sentiment.
The First Step Necessary.
What are we, the people of the agri-
cultural states, going to do about it?
Are we going to sleep on our arms
and let the matter drift and only
wake up when it is too late? Are We
going to spend our time over insur.
gency and stalwartism, going to gorge
ourselves with the false and sensa-
tional journalism of the day, or are we
going to unite for the protection OF
our real and most important interests?
If the latter what is the first step to
take?
Remember that this is government
by parties. A policy that has no sup
port by either of the great political
parties-a policy which is not backed
by either, has but precarious stand
ing, and is liable to BIZ sacrificed by
either or both It is doubly endan-
gered when there is cry for its de-
struction. Our first step, therefore,
should be to make certain that the
protective policy of this government
should embrace the products of our
farms. The Republican party Is the
party of protection, and we must look
to that party and that party alone to
defend US against this impending dan
ger.
National Republican Platform.
The constitution of a party is its
national platform. Into that lnstru-
ment should and must be written In no
uncertain terms the guaranty OF the
party to uphold the agricultural inter-
est of the country and to give it the
same protection that is accorded every
other industry in the country.
Fair and just protection to every
important American industry, excess
sive and unjust protection to none,
should be written into the Republican |
platform Of 1912.
If placed there it must be done BY
the representatives of the agricultural
states in the next Republican conven-
ton. And it must be placed there by
men who have the ability to do so
And here We approach a most import
ant matter, the selection of delegates
from not only North Dakota, but from
all these northwestern states. The
question is not how these delegates
shall be selected, but who shall be Sc
'lected. 1t is not so much question
of stalwart or insurgent, as 1t Is
question, who can accomplish.
We want men as delegates to that
convention who are workers, who will
be Ible to work with their party as
sociates and will see to it that we have
the right kind of plank in our plat
form.
Let US not delude orselves with the
idea that it makes no difference whom
we send. I repeat the platform is
more important to us than the ques-
ton of who shall be the next Repub'
lican nominee for president. the
platform will guide and control both
the president and the republican rep