Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-02
FARMERS CONGRESS
TURNS OUT ALL THE
POLITICAL FARMERS
Ream Pushes Through a Constitu'
tional Amendment Eliminating
Lawyers, Politicians and
Professional Men.
UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS STAY
Both Suffrage and Prohibition Get
Black Eyes. but Latter May
Come Up Again.
OLD OFFICERS REELECTED

you are engaged in some
form Of agricultural activity you can
no longer be a member of the Ne
braska Farmers congress.
The congress in deliberate body as
sembled at the Hotel Rome did SOL
emnly, yet noisily affirm, assert. re-
solve and proclaim it. The new clause
thereupon became an amendment to
the constitution and thereby a few
lawyers and politicians were seen to
vanish in spirit through the yawning
transom.
Long has a quiet craving for this
battle itched at the left ventricle of
the farmers heart. Oft has the sub
ject been brought up in casual way
and been dropped as casually.
Not so at Wednesday afternoons ses-
sion.
1t was o'clock when the matter was
brought up 1t was $50 when the poison
oue gases of personality bombs had
cleared from the ghastly trenches and
the slain lawyers. doctors. merchants,
politicians and absentee landlords were
prepared Tor burial.
Ream starts the Thing.
j. D. Ream, innocently or otherwise,
precipitated the clash when he asked
f0r an amendment that would require
o1e5very member to register his name ad-
dress and occupation during the last two
years.
G. II. Gustafson of Mead seconded the
motion. pointing out that the actions of
the congress are quoted far and wide by
public speakers and are used in argu-
ment in legislative halls Therefore, he
wanted a record of who constituted the
delegates TO a Farmers congress whose
acts were being quoted as acts of de-
Lucrative bodies of farmers.
The eligibility clause of the constitu-
ton was read. 1t provided that ANY per-
son in the state may become a member
of the Nebraska Farmers congress by
the payment of ST."
r, NJ. Tyson of Tobias was sure that
was entirely too loose and that 1t could
not be a farmers congress if lawyers.
bankers. merchants and dentists could be
admitted.
F.~F. I,oomis of Edholm In the course
of a discussion of the question asserted
that the farmers are asleep and need to
be awakened.
w. @. Whitmore introduced the resolu-
tion providing that "any person may be-
come a member of the Farmers congress
provided he is engaged in some form of
agricultural activity"
Light is Sought.
Everyone wanted to know what consti-
tutes agricultural activity
Whitmore attempted to give his inter-
pretation by saying he would not ex-
clude such men as DIT. George e. Condra,
Chancellor Samuel Avery and Dean Bur-
nett of the University of Nebraska, who
N<e engaged i'm work looOKing toward the
development Of agriculture in the state.
nor yet would he exclude such men as
Frank G.. Odell and Thomas +. Sturgess
of the agricultural press,
mo. no. we need theni1 was the cry.
kirkland of Atkinson after explaining
that he was Methodist preacher in his
time, but has now for many years been
a farmer. started TRADE against the
non-farner and his activities in the con-
Yention.
IT am informed" he asserted. that a
majority OF the members of our resolu-
tions committee are not farmers at ALL"
He went ahead and made a speech on
this assumption.
President Coupland is touchy on the
matter of the committee, for he selected
and appointed it. So he held Kirkland
to the floor when he would fain take
his seat.
"Glance over that list" said the presi-
dent as he pushed the list of the resoIu-
tions committee under the nose OF Kirk
(Continued on Page -Four Column TSuTo i