Evening star., 1919-09-18
FARMER WILL SEEK
RIGHTS BY VOTING
National Organization Serves
Warning Upon Public
Men Here.


fight his battles, covering what he
considers his economic and legal
rights, in the chambers and 1obbies
Of Congress. He is going to battle
openly, using all his political and
financial power. and his opponents
will either surrender or be annihilat-
ed. There will be no compromise. It
will be q finish fight.
A clear declaration Of war Is ut
tered In q stRtement which the ma
tioflal sHsard e9 QIEanizat!ons
Evening Star. This statement, which
follows, is supplemented by an in
terview given out at the same time
by the chairman OF the board:
Men in Public Life Warned.
Men in public life have been
warned that the National Board of
Farm Organizations has decided to
become a fighting force. This notice
was served on them at the final ses-
sion of the congress at 1871 I street
yesterday. No longer satisfied to be
merely an educational body, impart-
ing information to its members on
matters affecting their interests, the
board is going into politics, but in
the larger sense.
1T will not go into party politics.
but, like the Anti-Saloon League, will
operate through all parties. It will
be bipartisan, interpartisan or nom
partisan.
Favor Collective Bargains.
"Having won it's fight for the repeal
Of the daylight saving law, the Ma
tional Board of Farm Organizations,
through the twenty or more organiza
A.: xrvif srsr Iyn
an intensive drive for the right of COL
lective bargaining. Every representa-
tive and every senator will be tabled,
ard-indexed and canvassed. -
All will be told that the farmers ir-
respective Of party inclinations and
Affiliations will expect them to vote
right on matters affecting agricul-
ture."
Will Demand Only Rights.
Milo D. Campbell, chairman of the
careful to demand nothing but what
is right. But once satisfied that a de-
mand has real merit and is embedded
in the bowels of justice" they will
insist that the representative or SEN
ator vote to grant it. Mr.. Campbell
said the farmers had very few de-
mands to make, but these are funda-
mental and affect the interests of the
urbanite no less than the interests of
the ruraliSt.
Uncle Reuben is awake" said Mr..
Campbell, "and those who have been
blaming him for the high cost of liv-
ing are largely responsible for his be-
ing aroused out of a comparatively
somnambulistic state. We are not go
ing before the country with club or
with threats. We are simply going to
submit a program and demand that
those who, serve US in Congress adopt
it. If they do not we are not going to
carry a red flag. distribute dynamite
or talk about revolution. All we will
do is to fire our representative, that
is if we are strong enough to do so.
Will Fight in American Way.
eff we can't get votes enough to
fire him we will go ahead with our
program of education until we can
get enough voters to agree with US to
assure his retirement to private life.
We are now a fighting organization.
but we are going to fight in the con-
stitutional, fair, red-blooded Ameri-
can way. I believe we can get what
ever we demand. provided what we
demand is right. if we meet the issue
souarely with a united rural popula-
ton behind us.
"Forty per cent of the people Of the
United States are engaged in agricul-
ture. They are patriotic and sincere
and will certainly win in any right
eous contest if they are united."
Discusses Rail Ownership.
The railroad question now confront
ing Congress and the country pri-
marily is whether the government
purposes to keep it's word to the own
ers of the railroads as recorded in the
federal control act of March 21. 1918,
George A. Post. chairman of the rail-
road committee of the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States,, last
night told the semiannual meeting
here of the National Board of Farm
Organizations.
1.-The taking of the railroads by the
government was war necessity and
not to punish the owners for having
railroads" Mr.. Post said. 1T was a
God-send to- the country that private
capital had provided a great system
of transportation which y could be
utilized for the needs of the country
in a time of tremendous stress. It is
now the bounden duty of the govern
ment to return the leased property in
as good condition as when 1t entered
upon. occupancy thereof. SO far a. 1t