Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-09-13

"NNA ~ oS ~
nesota state fair, and this is what he
said:
Let me say in passing. hope
. it is entirely seemly to remind
You that no public man, particu-
larly nY public servant from the
great wheat-raising state of Ohio,
would dare to think, much less to
say, he believed in dollar wheat
amid the price wildness which
the world is contemplating today,
l. speak of it, because we are get
ting acquainted today, and I do
not mean to have my misunder-
standing between you and me-,
and ], will not be grossly and un-
fairly misrepresented.
I have helped to cut sixty cent
wheat. I have known it to sell
at forty ent I have followed,
the cradle, and ysweatedt behind
the reaper when binding was a
cross to bear, and l know I spoke
h truth when I said, SOME years
ago, that Ohio farmers, in the
normal days before the war, re-
joiced to raise dollar wheat. That
statement had no reference what
ever to wartime; none>to the
present after-war period. Condi-
lions, as well az prices, have
changed since made that per-
X fectly natural and truthful state
ment, and other great and impor-
tant changes are in contempla-
ton, and no misrepresentation 10
necessary to bring them about.
Every person who has reached mid
die age remembers the time when 1t
was possible for a man to maintain
q family comfortably on a dollar q
day, and when a salary of $50 q
month was considered munifcent.
That has nothing to do with the con-
ditions Of today. At this time a doll
lar is not a fair days wage, nor $50
month a fair salary for the expert
enced clerk or expert accountant. Nor
is a dollar a fair price. for a bushel OF
wheat. Senator Harding has not said
or thought that it was.
The attack made on Mr.. Harding
on this score recalls a somewhat SINH
lar attack made years agoton the late
Senator M. N. johnson of North Da-
kota. Mr.. johnson, it will he remem-
bered, was a practical farmer, operat-
ing a large farm in Nelson county.
One year in the early nineties-doubt-
less the n which Senator Harding
had in mind when he referred to
wheat selling at forty cents-the bot
tom fell out of prices of farm prod.
ucts, and pretty much everything else
Wheat sold at 40 cents or less, oats
at Il to Is cents, and potatoes were
delivered in Grand Forks Easements
for is cents a bushel.
While on his way to Washington
Mr.. johnson was questioned about
conditions in North Dakota, and his
Eq~uestioner expressed anxiety over the
plight OF the farmers of this state un.
der the low prices which they were
experiencing. Mr.. Johnson, admitted
that the situation was unfortunate
- H r|H~g
and unsatisfactory, but he said thai
the North Dakota farmer would moi
be so badly off as might ppear from
a consideration of prices alone. The
year, he said, had been one Of enor.
nous yields in North Dakota, hence
even at the abnormally low prices pre-.
vailing, the North Dakota fame
would be abe to pull through in bet.
ter shape than would a good many
of his neighbors in less productive
states. OF illustrate his point he cited
the case Of M field of wheat on his
own farm on which the yield had been
50 great that the>wheat had actual,
cost him less than 80 cents a. bushel
That harmless and perfectly accur.
ate statement was Immediately dis.
torted, and Mr.. johnson was srepre.
sented to have. declared that 80 cent,
a bushel was enough for the North
Dakota farmer to get for his wheat
There are probably many people who
TO this day are convincedsthat he said
just that.
There is n imp0eant adifferenc.
between the two incidents. we hay.
no recollection thst any presidentia,
candidate stopped 90 low % to repea,
the lie against N. n. johnson:
4rNga