The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-05-23
MICHIGAN FARMERS
DECLINE TO FALL"
FOR LEAGUE PLAN Al
Effort of Labor Leaders to Make
Catspaw Of Agriculturists
Defeated
EIGHT HOUR DAY FOR +
]:
il T. FARM-HANDs PROMISED
Especial Lansing Correspondence OF
fho Unfrnit SATURDAY. Efnhkl
Especial Lansing Correspondence OF
the Detroit Saturday Night)
Hop.

the Detroit Saturday Night)
Lansing g., Mich, Nay 2s-The two
big farmers organization of the state
the Grange and the Gleaners-do not
propose to be used as catspaws to
pull from the fire the political chest.
nuts Of the labor leaders Of Michigan,
and as a result OF the failure of tho
agriculturalists to enter into a polit-
ical combination with the trade un-
i0nists, there is little reason to believ,
that the effort to North Dakotaize'
this state will bear fruit.
On the closing day of the Legislature.
a widely advertised conference was
held in Lansing. The meeting was
called by Perry Ward of Detroit, Sec
rotary Of the Michigan Federation of
Labor, for the purpose of assembling
the leading agiculturalists in a con-
ference with the laboN unions, to or
ganize the Workingmen's on-Partis-
an Voters League rs3 JA5H
Meeting One.Sided 2 40,
As the meeting turned out it was
rather one-sided affair. Approximate
ly fifty labor leader and Judge Jeffries
of Detroit were, on hand when Claude
Taylor, president OF the Michigan
Federation of Labor, called the meet
ing. to order. Not a single farmer
had responded to the clarion call of
the labor leaders. Either the farm
ers were. too busy making yready to
plant their crops or else theXy suspect
ed something.
The efforts Of Judge fJefries and the
various labor delegateso 10 convince
the farmers that the last legislature
was lined up solidly against the farm
err and the laborer alike are humor-
Gus when a glance over the roll call
districts practically c0ntrolledsthe 1917
assembly.
Consequently the charge of the labor
leaders that the farmers were cheated
by the legislature does not interest
the rural politicians, who have their
minds on siX-dollar beans and two
dollar potatoes. "., -s
l.. Grange Man Opposed
After the conference of farmers and
trades unionists had been going on
for some time without the farmers,
CHI "Bramble, an officer of the State
Grange, appeared.
In remarkably short time, how
ever, he informed the labor delegates
that the farmers were not interested
in any political schemes and declared
most emphatically that the present is
no time to consider the formation OF
any new political party.
viii Fight for Principles
The Grange, declared Bramblc, will
fight, for principles but is not interest
ed in candidates or political parties,
and he intimated that in regard to any
plan whereby the farmers nd labor
unions could be brought together for
the purpose OF attempting to control
the legislature, the State Grange could
be counted out.
Politically, the farmer have things
we'll in hand in the state legislature,
and they have everything to lose and
nothing to gain by entering into q
combination with the Michigan Fed.
Grafton Of Labor a dntis allied inter-
ests. .la
Organizing Hired Men s
"Thc first thing we know the unions
will have our hired men organized
and, will insist upon an eight-hour
day for all farm labor said prom
inent farmer in discussing the corr
ference. 1--WE can get what we want
from the legislature and will help the
union men when they have meritorious
bills, there is no advantage for US to
enter into political alliance with the
unions" ..
70 elect complete state ticket from
governor to coroner composed of men
pledged to carry out the program of
the labor leaders will be the plan of
the Non-Partisan League, which the
union men will form without the as
sistance OF the farmers, if the men
from the rural districts cannot b..
coaSed into the deal.
No North Dakota Stunt
1t is not believed that Michigan will
witness repetition of the North Da-
kota proposition for two reasons.
First, the Michigan farmer has been
we'll able to look after his interests
and has been literally re-
presented in the legislature. Sec
ondly, 1t will be exceedingly difficult
to bring the thousands and thousands
OF voters in the cities-the men who
are not affiliated with labor orcaniza-
the nronosed connhina t;nn