The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1918-07-06
PROUD OF GRANGE
At WALLA WALLA
GEORGE p. HAMPTON AND WILL
LIAM BOUCK SPEAK IN COL.
VILE CITY PARK
Say Farmers Have to Fight Monopoly
Interests to Obtain Rights
For the Producers

"That the forces of greed and spe-
cial privilege locked horns with the
farmers at Walla Walla," is the opin-
ion of George P. Hampton of Wash
ington, d. c., secretary of the Far
mers' National Legislative council
and editor of the Farmers Open For
um, who with William Bouck, master
of Washington state grange, spoke
June 28 in the Colville city park.
81 am proud of the way the grang-
ers in session at Walla Walla con-
Quoted themselves" said Mr.. Hamp-
ton in speaking of the expulsion of
the farmers from the high school by
the Walla Walla authorities. "I be-
lieve that at Walla Walla was writ
ten one Of the upward chapters of
democracy. The memorial which the
state executive committee presented
to President Wilson is historic doc
ument of the war"
"This is the supreme test as to who
has the right to deterine where there
is disloyalty, who has the right to
break up meetings on the charge Of
disloyalty," said Mr.. Hampton, who
considers that it was an usurpation of
federal authority for the Walla Walla
authorities to break up the meeting
of the state grange. That the labor
councils of the state favor the inves-
tigation Of the matter now being
made, was another statement made
by the speaker.
Mr.. Hampton's purpose in coming
into the state was to deliver a per-
sonal tribute to C. B. Kegley, for
mer state master of the grange, who
died in October of last year. He
told of Mr.. Kegley's work as leader
of the progressive group and a fac
tor in national affairs and Of the con-
structive legislation in the interests
of the farmers of the United States
which had been obtained through his
efforts. Mr.. Kegley was influential
in revivifying the grange when it had
died out in many of the states through
the efforts Of the monopolistic inter-
ests who feared the constructive force
being developed, said the speaker.
He told of the part played by the for
mer grange leader in securing the
rural credit system.
The Grange, the Farmers Onion,
the Federation of Labor and the Di-
rect Legislation League are unified
progressive forces as never before,
Mr.. Hampton told his audience and
added that at is absolutely impos-
sible for workers, whether in the
cities, mines or farms, to accomplish
anything for their betterment with
out coming into touch with some mo-
nopoly group with the result that they
have fight on their hands"
Mr.. Hampton said that he was
proud of the grangers at Walla Walla,
who in spite of their outrageous
treatment by the authorities of the
city, kept the peace, remembering
that they were engaged in great
world war and must avoid melting to
mob law and chaos. After what they
termed "the biggest provocation to
which any one could be subjected"
the farmers departed peaceably to
their homes, while their officers took
the matter up with the president Of
the United States.
Tells of Problems
Farmers need to stand together
now as never BEFORE" said William
Bouck, following Mr.. Hampton's ad-
dress. He told of the powerful force
the farmers were in unifying dem
ocratic sentiments, and spoke of the
way they passed the bills in the state
legislature popularly known as "The
Seven Sisters" He told of how the
farmers swamped iniquitous meas
ures with the referendum, but of
their lack of wisdom in putting back
into office the same men,"
The reason for the trouble at Walla
Walla, according to Mr.. Bouck, was
that the forces of democracy in the
state were centered at the Walla
Walla meeting and there came into
conflict with the reactionary element
which, he said, had gone under sew
eral different names such as the
"Stop, Look and Listen League" the
Farmers Protective Association" etc.
A better system Of taxation is one
of the problems which the farmer
must solve, said Mr.. Bouck. That
because the granger had the temerity
to say that the profiteers ought to be
taxed when President Wilson himself
said that profiteering and patriotism
do not go together, he was branded as