The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-04-22
FIND THE FARMERS
Who Dixie. Says are DenOuncing
FIetcher's Rural Credit Work
0Hastings JournalD

Editor Hastings Journal
Some short time ago l received
from one of my friends in Hastings
clipping from Dixie. issue of March
IA, which contained an article taken
from the Nebraska Farm Magazine.
Dixie, in quoting this article, uses
the heading. ..Fletcher's Rural
Credit System Denounced by Farm
ers." My Hastings friend sent this
| with the remark that he thought it
| would interest me. 1t does.
1t is encouraging 10 Senator
Fletcher's friends to find that the
best efforts his opponents can put
forth are as weak as is this piece of
petty political chicanery to which
Dixie has lent itself in this case, for
it must have known that insofar as
this bill, which it .finds so objection
able, is concerned, only two farm
journals in the entire country have
attacked it, and of these two. the
publication from which Dixie quotes
SO glibly and SO gleefully, is one.
Furthermore, there is in this attack
SO apparently an object TO cast re-
lection upon Senator Fletcher's
record and his achievements that it
is, perhaps time that our Florida
farmers be made acquainted with
some rural credit history. which
brought into life this denunciatory
article so joyfully used
1t is boldly announced to the farm
ers of Florida, .'Fletcher's Rural
Credit Bill Denounced by Farmers"
Since when is the bill introduced in
Congress, .tFletcher's bill?" Seven
men (six besides Senator Fletcher)
drafted the plan for legislation COW
cred by this bill. Does that make
it "Fletcher's bill?' Or does the fact
that President Wilson asked Senator
Fletcher to introduce this bill into
the Senate make it '.Fletcher's
bill?"
Senator Fletcher has absolutely
no apologies to make for his work
on rural credit legislation, and those
of us who have watched him know
| we'll that every step he has taken
/ has been a step forward. / know
personally that this bill is by no
means in entire accord with his ideas
as to what, will best serve the needs
of the country. for / discussed seve-
raj phases of the bill at length with
him in Washington last December.
| He was, however, only one Of seven
/ appointed to provide plan. He
/ knew it was more important to get
something before Congress than to
| delay the work Of the commission by
too much disagreement; he realized,
which Dixie is not honest enough to
point out, that the Introduction OF
this bill into Congress was more for
the purpose OF forcing Congress to
act, and it was introduced with the
full knowledge that it was not the
last word on the subject and that
would further mould it to suit the
needs of the people and the times.
Senator Fletcher has always stated
publicly and privately that he well
coined suggestions and advice, know
ing that he alone could not perfect
any plan. He is not tied to any bill
or to any measure. What he wants
is action for the financial relief of
the farmer, and whatever he has
done has been done with this end in
view. He alone is responsible for
the fact that Congress is now acting
on the rural credit question. Let
US not fail to give credit where cred
it is due
1t seems that even today a
prophet is not without. honor save
in his own country" A Florida pub
LEGATION does its best to hamper and
belittle the work of our senior Sena-
tor, and yet from far away North
Dakota comes this tribute TO the
man and his work:
4 congratulate you heartily for
the splendid efforts you are making
in behalf Of the farmers of the coun-
try. You are erecting monument
to your name which shall never per-
ish but will grow even greener in the
hearts of grateful men"
Yours truly.
F. j. H. Won Engelken