The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1917-05-17
Ac31oza 0f Congress Resented by
Farmers
arm epS


Union, has given out the following statement
commenting on the eight-hour law passed by Con
gres8 Saturday.
THE people OF this nation have during tho
past week. passed through the most humiliating
experience this government has ever endured. A
few labor union leaders have stood at the portals
OF Congress demanding that government give
them ransom, or they would wreck society.
This nation, instead OF meeting tho situation
braveIy, has delivered the goods in fear and
trembling.
Our American Congress has stood within the
shadow Of the Goddess Of Justice and voted
increase IN wages 10 four hundred thousand train
men, who The highest paid aborcrs in the
world. and Vile must subsist almost wholly upon
the crumbs that the tFainsnen leave upon the
table.
''WEcn cotton was selling fer six GEMS Der
pound, two years ago, and poverty stalkcd over
the southland, causing greater financial loss to
the Southern r10ymon than the freeing OF slaves.
Congress confessed inability to cope with the
situation and stepped aside letting this avGuI
burden fal! upon the backs Of tho ti3e'~ OF the
4 III
The organized plowmen pleaded with Congress
for relief but were told that it would not be
&titn.iorai for government to undertake 80 fix tI,c
Price Of "otia az t. advance money on cotton in
storage. and that Congress- was a slow-moviug
body aHd oo"'d net iaf't enacr9eDcies,'
The above statements Of the President Of
the Texas Farmers Union is All thc mere
bitter because il is strictly true.
The President 1oldly told the repre-
&ent&tiToa Of the farmers that they need not
expect amy relief from the Government.
The Democratic platform of 1912 had
promised relief, but chat promise was per
fdl0Usly broken by The very popliticians who
had made it, advertised it, and cot office on H.
With one band the +, s, Treasury Depart
mcnt loaned that Spectator $50 with which to
buy the farmers bale OF cotton, and, with The
other hand the Government delivered TO The
Spectator a0 Insurance policy of SIS on The
same bale.
From that object lesson the eyes Of the
plundercd farmer viii never be taken away.
He will be able to see hot as long as he IS
able to see 0}sYfhing.
But things have changed: the farmer is no
longer the despscd yellow dog Of the Demo
cratic administration.
Uncle Sol Bceswax is now the 0attcrcd
Savior Of Society,
That Is he is called the Redeemor and is
expected to live up to The name,
In the old days when he asked the Govern
mcnt to lend HIM money on land, be was told
that such loans would be unconstitutional and
"PaternaI"
Above all things. Uncle Sam wished to
avoid being Patcrn&l Government.
With loud cries, we were told that we must
not look to thc Government for any sort Of
help, but mast paddle our own canoe,
We had not asked for money to buy rail
roads, OF factories, OF oil wells. or coal fields,
or to spcculotc IN toy2n pyoducts.
We merely asked to borrow money TO save
oar homes and ON business.
But the Government rebuked us, saying it
would never do in the world to create new
money and lend it to producers.
Years passed. financial storms beat upon the
land, and many thousand Of producers lost
their lands, lost also their hopes abandoned
the struggle, and foated out into the dark
outer world of poverty, dependence misery