Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-06-14
E DITO R
WOLD AND THE FARMERS.

Theodore Void. governor of the Minneapolis Reserve
Bank, brings a remarkable Indictment against certain OF the
farmers of the Northwest, comprising what is known as the
ninth district of the department OF banking.
Governor Void virtually accuses them of disloyaty in
that he alleges they are placing obstacles in the way of the
success Of the Liberty Loan. He particularlzes those farmers
who constitute what is known as the Non-Partlsan League,
which is said to be becoming strong in North Dakota and
Minnesota and somewhat so III South Dakota.
sIn this district said Nj. Void, as quoted in a Mime
apolis paper, .swhere millions of money has gone into the
hands of the agricultural classes during the last year, and
where the greatest prosperity has prevailed, the result is ex-
tremely Disappointing
Then he seeks to soften the effect of the criticism by
adding: "We believe that a better response will come from
The farmers when they understand that the government must
have the support it is asking for at this time and that the
entire loan will be spent in this country, largely for the staples
that the farmer produces
While there are many farmers who could well spare the
cash necessary for the purchase Of a few bonds, we fear, never
theless, that Governor Void fails to comprehend in detail
the financial aspects of farming. He appears to imagine that
when the average farmer receives the money for his crops he
hasn't a thing in the world to do with it but "salt'' it down
pending the time when his country needs it.
The Saturday News, while upholding the government in
its position and believing that every man able to do so should
be anxious to render all the financial aid possible to his coun-
try, knows that the average farmer spends his money before
he gets it, metaphorically speaking.
What with the needs of the laborers employed, the gro
Ger, the farm implement dealer, the shoe man who has kept the
children shod since the last crop was marketed, and the banker
to whom must be paid a years interest on the mortgage on
the farm, the farmer has to skmp with regard to his own
wearing apparel 1t he would save enough to carry him forward
to the next seeding, to say nothing of the harvest.
Then, too, Mr.. Void should reflect that only a very small
percentage of the grain now IN the country is held by the pro-
Queer, but instead the bulk Of it is in the hands of the speculat-
ors and the food gamblers who have been playing the ends
against the middle since purchasing the crop last fall at prices
far below the present level.
There is another factor, also, which Governor Void and
men OF his class should bear in mind when they are inclined to
crltlcise the farmer for his slowness in getting into line for
war, and that is this: For months the country was raked as
with g hne-tooth comb for votes for 9 president who had kept
us ont Of war 8 and whose political slogan was peace, net
war; and after the political campaign had been won, and wor
by the votes of the great West and Northwest, a sudden shift
ing from peace to war was somewhat stunning in its effect
upon those thousands upon thousands who had voted for Z
great political leader solely because he had kept us out Of
war.
It does not follow that partisansIip is involved in state
ment OF this character, for it must be admitted by all reason
able men that the assertion is based upon fact. Tt is herein
set forth to indicate that more than a few weeks time i
required to work q great transition in the public mind in
region which broke away from political tradition III the fall 8
1916 to sustain the cause of peace.
There are#two facts which Mr..Wold should take into con
sheraton, namely: the one concerning the financial aspect
OF farming and the other relating to the political upheaval il