The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-26

a dozen women were present.
Mr.. Randall arrived late and was
loudly cheered by his supporters as
he went up the aisle.
Calls Largest industrys Poorly
Managed.
1--WE are here to be instructed" said
Chairman McKellip in opening the
meeting, "and to learn as much as
possible about this great question.
This debate is between Mr.. Lee and
Mr.. Randall, and please give them all
| the time."
81 am conscious of the responsible
ity resting upon me as the representa-
| tive of 5000 northwest farmers" said
Mr.. Randall. II propose to give you
hard, cold facts.
First, I want you to. conceive of
farming as an industry. 1t is the larg-
est single industry in the United
States in capital invested, in land and
equipment. 1t is also the poorest man
aged of any industry. If organized on
modern business, 1t would have to be
made over. You don't finish anything
that you start. You start to feed the
world with grain and turn over your
wheat to the mill owned by the big
corporations to make it into flour. The
same is true of the hogs and cattle
you send to packing plants.
Society charge with giving you no
| facilities for completing your product.
If the government could substitute the
| railroads with $1,000, 100000. why
can't it substitute the farmers? I'll
tell you why, because the railroads
are in politics and you are not.
Would Assert Economic Power:
| "You have no economic power. You
let the other fellow fix the price. You
put your eggs on the counter and ah say
| comes to you and asks you what you
Twill take for them. You pay what toll
| the middleman chooses to take.
You want to assert your own econ
l omic power and not give 1t away to a
lot of cheap politicians.
I'm society we always have had a
dominant class and subjected class.
The dominant class has controlled our
Legislation. They have been dominant
because they have been able to make
the rules of the game. That has en-
go per cent Of the wealth. That has
gone on under Republicans and Dem
/ They have divided you into parties
so they could control you. These party
divisions are Just q trick of big busi-
"A North Dakota farmer told me we
We're all right, but the farmers
wouldn't stick. said to him, You
can't blame the farmers: they have
getting their cue from these big city
dailies and believing everything they
1.-THE only function political parties
| NIL is to determine which set of fell
lows will get to the political trough,
and you fill the trough"
Points to Tenant Farming.
Mr.. Randall read from government
reports to show the growth of tenant
farmers Ia re,rs This viii keep on until you
he said. The worst thing in MinneZ
sofa is the farmer who has. to farm
| somebody else's farm"
He dwelt on the growth of tenant
farming in the south and especially in
| Texas.
I'm 1915. the farmer received $s,oOO.-
100000 for his product" said Mr.. Ran
the consumer paid $4,000, 900 900 for
these products. That is too much.
There is something wrong somewhere"
Question Evaded, Lees Opener.
Perhaps II would be well to come
back for while to the subject we met
here to discuss said Mr.. Lee in open
ing.
Il am disappointed that Mr.. Randall
has not met the question for those of
you who have come far at great per-
1 sonal sacrifice, and has not shown why
you and should join his new political
party.
II realize that there are some things
wrong in our economic system. 1t is
not perfect but this man comes in here
from another state that is rs years
behind the time to tell US what we
| ought to do. I hope before we are
through he will come down out of the
clouds unto our Todd county soil.
Every one of these workers and
| collectors have met has seemed to be
working under orders from some hid
| den headquarters, and has resented
every attempt to question them or TO
find out about their organization. All
who have done this have been de-
nounced as enemies of the farmers.
believe in publicity as cure for po-
litical ills, but these people are taxi
/ ing the same methods as those of olden
times, when man giving publicity to
the doings of the leaders had his head
cut on or his tongue taken out
Declares Farmers DO Use Power,
i THE question is not the wisdom Of