The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-08-19


it again and saw a cartoon picturins
the farmers chasing "Big Business
down the road and Ole began to laugh
and said to the banker: "That picture
he bane wort saxteen dollar himself.
"The farmers of Minnesota are
learning to talk. A few days ago
met an automobile parade of farmers
in Minnesota. There were about zoe
automobiles and they were nearly all
Fords. The farmers have habit OF
| getting out on the roads, when they
get together. AS the parade passed
me the people all seemed to know me
and from every automobile came some
talk. 1t was just few, plain, simple
words that any farmer can say. They
said: We'll stick. Well win That
was all they said, just simple, plain
words, but it means much to those
farmers. 1t spells success.
In North Dakota the farmers have
the language pretty well learned.
There is not one farmer in 10 in that
state who cannot talk with any banker
or lawyer and tell him why the farm
ers should belong to the nonpartisan
league. He can answer all their argu-
ments. A North Dakota farmer came
to me the other day and told me of
conversation he had had with a
banker who told him I was getting all
of the SIG. He told the banker he
was darned glad to know who was
getting it, for he had been farming
in that state for 81 years and wass
poorer and weighed Is pounds less
than when he came and that was the
first time he had ever known who
got his money and when the farmers
all learned they will get together and
stop the people from getting their
money.
And while we're talking about that
SIG let me tell you that there is more
talk about that than any other sum
of money in the world. A farmer
told me .that he had bought $500
worth of stock in an insurance com
pany and lost it; he paid $43 too
much interest because he did not
know how to figure interest, and no
one offered to sympathize with him
or try to help him get it back but ne
can't get in the city limits Of his town
without about Is lawyers, bankers
and business men offering to help
him get back the SIG he paid to join
the nonpartisan league.
The farmers only get money once a
year in North Dakota and other wheat
growing states, so when they join the
league we have them predate their
checks, that is date them ahead so
they will come due about the time
the farmer guesses he will have his
money. A farmer went to a banker
and asked him if he thought the farm
er ought to go to the automobile
show at MINNEAPOLIS and the banker
said yes, it was a good show and he
ought to go. The farmer said it will
cost me $18 or $40. Ought to spend
that much? and the banker asked
why he came to him to ask if he could
spend $18 or 500 and the farmer an .
swered: We'll, you made such he'll
of holler when l paid, SIG to join
the nonpartisan league | thought Ia
better ask you before / paid out any
more money laughter and applause.)
At this point it began to sprinkle and
Mr.. Townley said: Il don't want to
keep you out here in the rain" Cries
Of go on, go on were heard. One
farmer said: 1--WE farmers are used to
staying out in the rain. We won't run
rom it, Mr.. Townley said: I'll keep
IN and if it rains I'll know that | have
'obodv but farmers in the audiencep' ]
,Laughter.)
In North Dakota we raise 100000 i
zoo bushels of wheat year. That's
ONE wheat. The farmers found that :
y building elevators and mills and !,
andling the grain at home and taking | !
heir business out of the hands of the :
levator trust we could save fifty five :
1illion dollars per year, about $1,000 :
Or every son-of-a-gun of farmer in !,
he state, SO we wanted to do this. Be
ore we had been raising the wheat. =
hats all we had to do with it,. We, !,
lised it and then turned it over to the .
eyator trust to handle and sell and
icy gave US just enough TO keep us !.
Using wheat the next year and the
ext 80 =
I'VE went to the business men and
e farmers and asked them to join :
it'll us and save that $1,000 to every =
lrmer. We had been sending our Z
oney away, We had to. When the, :.
-vator trust got its $5500O0W and =
E beef trust got its. share and the T.
ternational Harvester company and =