Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-04-30
JUST WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT

Organizations in Washington. That
is just exactly what the farmers may
expect if they sleep at the switch
while the opposition marshals its
forces and swings a solar plexus
blow into the bill while before the
committee.
This piece of legislation is abso-
lutely essential to the farming inter
ests of this country. Unless this
measure is passed by congress, thus
giving cooperative business enter
prises a we'll defined right to live
and operate according to law, these
enterprises, as long as they carry on
business, are virtually over powder
magazine which can be set off at any
time by any little narrowhead who
has a grudge against cooperative
methods of business and farmers
organizations in particular This is
not guess work, it is history. Prose-
cutions have already been brought
against groups of farmers who were
attempting to market comparatively.
Why should we hope that they will
not be continued?
There are powerful interests in
this country that are violently OPP
posed to the passage of the Capper-
Hersman bill. They brand it class
| legislation and can of course paint
an awful picture of what will happen
if congress is so foolish as to let
these roughneck, hill-billy farmers
/ operate in business comparatively.
They do not want any class legisla-
ton, no stree. Let the thing alone.
The farmer must be saved from him
self. All rot. There is no class leg
islation about the thing. The only
thing the farmer is demanding is
that his cooperative business insti-
buttons be recognized as legitimate.
Brother member of the Farmers
| Union, We can not afford to let the
opposition chloroform this bill in
behind our demand for the passage
of this bill. Just keep in mind that
the opposition never sleeps when his
special privilege is being encroached
upon. We ought to do a little less
work in the corn field and potato
patch and little more in protecting
our interests before legislative
bodies.
The day can be saved yet il mem
bers of the Farmers Union and mem
bers of other farm organizations
wake up and get busy. 1t occurred
to me once to say if members of the
Farmers Union and other farmers,
whether organized or not, wake up
and get busy. But I decided not to
put it that way because there is very
little to an unorganized farmer. The
influence which unorganized farmers
may be expected to exert in a crisis
of this kind is little less than moth
ing. The day must and will be saved
by organized farmers.
The Farmers Union is one of the
most powerful movements among
farmers in this country. Let us show
the John Smiths, and Bill Jonses who
now occupy seats among the mighty
at Washington, because we have
elected them from our various con-
gressional districts, that we mean
business and are going to have the
Capper-Hersman bill passed or will
know the reason why. And the rea-
son must be jim-dandy if the bill is
defeated else they will smell the
patching later on.
Here is the way to get results.
Each one of you who reads this ar
ticle set right down now and write
your congressman, explaining that
you are vitality interested in the pass
age of the Capper-Hersman bill |
which gives to cooperative institu-
lions the same legal right to operate
as private institutions now enjoy.
Tell him that it is reported the bill
is taking nap in committee and you
will appreciate his efforts to see that
the committee makes favorable re-
port thereon.
In addition, let each local and
county Union lombard congress with
memorials and petitions.
If you have not time to write, send
a telegram, but by all means do
something and do it NOW. Petitions
and memorials are fairly good, but a
personal letter written with your
own hand to your own dear con-
gresham will bring results quicker
than anything else.