Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-07-26
NEED OF UNITED DEMAND
FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

Writing to a meeting of farmers
at Kansas City, Mr.. William Kent OF
the federal tariff commission Endorses
their purpose of getting together for
united action in placing their views
before the public authorities of state
and nation. His letter. which was
in lieu of the speech for which the
farmers asked, covered many sub
jects with the vigor and brevity for
which this unique public man has
come to be widely known.
1.-The persecution of farm organi-
cations, notably of the Nonpartiasn
league" he tells them, "shows the
need of a united demand for our
civil liberties, the right of peaceful as
semblage, the open channels of pub
licity and the prosecution, through
the national government. if the states
fail in their duty, of those who con-
spire against the Constitution.
I'VE have the right to demand
open channels beween ourselves as
producers and the consumers of the
nation, free from such abuses as are
practiced by the packers and the
millers. We have the right to de-
mand economy in distribution, with
immunity from parasitic speculation
and from the wasteful and unprO-
ductive manipulations of unnecessary
middlemen. We have a right to de-
mand of our elected officials most
careful scrutiny into our present
systems of distribution, to the end
of opening and Strengthening the
obstacles that impede the flow of
our foodstuffs from the farm to the
tables of our people.
1--WE are right in demanding that
the natural resources of the country
shall be so managed, whether
through direct public agencies or
under concessions granted to private
individuals or corporations. that
their use may benefit all the people.
who legally share in their ownership.
When we consider the list of our
natural resources, we can in no way
forget the greatest of our natural re-
sources, the land. Permanently of
in our traditions and our civiliza-
ton. We cannot afford to forego
this institution, but we can and
should take from land occupation the
speculative, irresponsible privileges.
The right to misuse, destroy, or leave
land unused is contrary to all ideas
of public policy and is the opposite
of production.
I'VE must see to it that those, no
matter how humble, who are engaged
in production, shall be recognized as
part and parcel of our democracy,
with equal rights in deciding its pol
icies and it's course. Any other
theory leads straight through peon-
age into virtual slavery.
Until all our present population not
in military service is forced by law
and the pressure of public opinion
into productive work, there should
be no talk of diluting or wrecking
our citizenship at the call of the pres
ent emergency"
MT. NeHt cautious the ldTHhelS
against a narrow class movement.
After reverting to the persecution OF
the Nonpartisan League by 1.-The
piratical. profiteering patrioteers,
and by those who have, through their
ignorance, been used as cats paws"
he writes:
1T Is necessary that, when the
farmers feel the lash of persecution.
they carefully consider the cause OF
others under similar conditions. and
that when they demand their rights,
they see to 1t that the demand rs a
general one and not class cry. l
have spoken of the agricultural in
terests as being inherently cOnserva-
tive and at the same time being pro-
gressive. There is no such thing as
real conservatism that does not move
on with the world procession. Your
standpat conservative is bull with
out discrimination, who bellows and
shakes his head In front of freight
train. The best he can hope for is a
reduction to sausage meat. with pos
sible wreckage of the train as side
show and by-prOduct."