Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-24
FARMER is LINING UP
AGAINST CITY WORKER
Contest Now On Is Economic, But 1t May
Be Projected Into Arena of
National Politics.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
! S conflict coming in this country
between the, agricultural classes
and the industrial classes? If so,
what will it lead? Thoughtful
members of Congress and government
officials are studying the signs of the
times, and they read in them a threat
of the alignment of the farmers
against the factory workers. the per-
sons engaged in transportation, in the
professions and in trade. in fact. all
! the persons living in and finding their
livelihood in the cities.
Admittedly the. economic interests
of the agriculturist, and the man
engaged in industry. so-called, are
at variance. 1t has been charged by
i representatives of some of the farm
organizations that there is propa :
ganda abroad in the land to keep
| from the farmer the profits which
are his due. The city man is anxious
to keep down the price of the things
that the farmer produces-foodstuffs
! of all kinds. and raw materials for
| clothing and shoes.
City Mans Viewpoint.
On the other hand, the city man
desires that the price of those things
which he produces-manufactu of
all kinds. shall bring as large profit
as possible so that he may reap the
beneht of his labor. The farmer has
to purchase these products of the
city man, clothes, machinery of all
kinds and other finished materials.
and naturally he does not wish to
pay for them any more than he is
compelled to pay.
The agitation over the high cost
or living which has swept over the
entire country has tendency to
bring to a head this strife between
the farmer and the city man.. The
wage Garner in the city complains
bitterly of the prices he must pay
Ior. food, he has charged that the
farmer is getting exorbitant prices
Ior his wheat. for his corn. his hogs
ana his cotton-and that the middle
men have added still more to the
cost The farmer has complained hit
teriy that all of the things he has
TO buy have increased in price until
NE Is hardly worth living.
Ihe farmers are organizing in this
country on a scale not hitherto Wit
messed. The industrial workers in the
past have been far more fully organ
ized than the agriculturists. They.
TOO, are increasing their organisations
ana strengthening their position. go
as to- make their demands more for
chile. With the farmers organized
and the city workers organized, and
their interests Numerically opposed,
where is the struggle leading?
Doubt Political Struggle.
In some quarters it has been sue-
gested that it will lead to the polls.
and that there will be a struggle to
elect members of Congress and ma
ttonal administrations favorable to
one Side or the other. But while they
admit the strife between the agricul-
tural interests and the industrial, men
like Senator Kenyon of Iowa and SEN
ator Capper of Kansas, both hailing
from agricultural states, do not be-
lieve that an urban party will be
formed as opposed to a rural party
They insist that while the interests
of the two are opposed, still the city
man is as necessary to the country
man as the country man is necessary
to the city man.
Senator Kenyon frankly admitted
that the struggle for economic SUI
premacy is under way. He suggested,
however, that there might be a union
of the two elements first against the
class of capitalists and middlemen
who appear to be reaping the great
balance of the profits of both agricul-
ture and industry. He suggested that
the Non-Partisan League, organized
with considerable success in North
Dakota and neighboring territory. had
sought to affiliate in some ways with
organized labor.
Both Strong in Congress.
Both the farmers and the laboring
element have strong support in the
Congress as now organized. The in
terests of both are carefully guarded
when it comes to legislating. Ex-
emptions have been made for both
classes in the drafting of the anti
trust laws. and now the farmers are
seeking still further eXemDtiOn-