Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-10-09
Eiectinq Senator Direct.

The Income Tax.
Fifth: The 18th Amendment author
izing Congress to levy a graduated In
come Tax on Swollen Fortunes" found
it's strongest and most valiant cham
organized farmers and organized
working men. Under this authority.
Congress, If so disposed, has the power
to tax away every dollar of the income
of The Standard Oil Company, The
Steel Trust, The International Har-
vester Company or any other big bust
ness concern.
Rural Free Delivery.
Sixth: The free rural delivery of
mail commenced first as an texperi-
ment, and since gradually extended to
ception, its origin, with organized
farmers. The town people were in
different or in some cases actually op-
posed to this innovation, but it has
been pushed and encouraged by farm
ers until it has become the settled
policy never again to be disturbed.
Parcels Post.
Seventh: Away back in the eighties
in the days of the Harrison admins
tration, that eminent Philadelphia
merchant John Wanamaker, then Post
master General, recommended to Con.
gress the establishing of a Parcels
Post. He said there were just four
objections to the project and named
the four great express companies.
These companies Immediately got
busy. The head of one. of them, Thos.
c. Platt, sat in the Senate represent.
ing New York. Chauncey DePew,
Vanderbi1t's hired man." was the
other Senator from that great state,
and together with the assistance of
other corporation lackeys, actually
drove this millionaire business man
from the Cabinet in practical disgrace.
But the vigilant farmers and the farm
press took up the agitation and some
eighteen years later in spite of the
most determined opposition on the
part of these express companies the
railroads, aided by thousands Of short
sighted merchants won the issue.
A provision for a limited parcels post
was carried in the Postoffice bill. This
has since been enlarged and extended
to meet fast-gr0wing demand and it
is safe to say that no more popular
legislation has been enacted than that
which provided for the parcels post.
Pure Food Law.
Eighth: When Theodore Roosevelt
as President was welding the Big
Stick, one of the most important bills
be forced through Congress was known
as the Pure Food and Drug Act. This
provided that among other things,
every bottle or container should bear
label giving the names of the in
gradients of which the contents was
composed; also that all products plac-
ed in cold storage warehouses should
bear the date when stored: It was
the organized farmers of the country
through the press, by petitions and
personal letters, that gave power to
the Big Stick and made this legisla.
ton possible.
Dept. Of Agriculture.
Ninth: The establishing and enlar-
cement of the great Department of
Agriculture was largely in reponse to
the demands Of the organized farmers,
and to meet situation created by
Grange and Alliance agitators. Some
thing had to be done to allay the
"discOntent" among farmers and the
lines Of least resistance were follow
ed. do not wish to minimize in any
degree the work of this great de-
partment of the government. In stamp
mfg out hog cholera in the north and
in destroying the cotton boil worm
in the south, agricultural experts have
rendered service worth many times
the cost of the entire department, and /
these are only two of its many lines |
Of activities.
Conservation.
Tenth: Conservation of public re-
1t was formerly the policy
OF the government-whether wise or
unwise-to give away or sell for a
mere pittance, the natural resources
Of the country, and these consist main
y of lands, timber, minerals and water
power. About twenty years ago it
was discovered that certain greedy |
SPECTATORS had long been systematic
lily gobbling up everything of pub
ic nature, especially water-power sites
And againait was the organized farm.
ers that sounded the alarm and be-
came largely responsible for creating T
hat healthy public sentiment in favor
If forest reservations and restrictive
egislation affecting the grant of.
water power privileges that now pre-
rails. There is yet much to be done
n this direction, but the start has
'een' made and Big Business will not
Jet control Of the remaining water
ii ~ = 7--* Ill. , - r. p: -
- =. ri - IT :s.;s.s5 :, ~ >s,&s 4 2 !,