Evening star., 1920-01-30
FARMERS ALLIANCE
WITH LABOR MORE
REMOTE THAN EVER
Agricultural Trend Away
From Government Owner
ship Ideas.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

An alliance between organized laDor
and the farmers of the country. which
has so often been suggested as the
nucleus of a mighty political force in
the next election, seems today about
as plausible as a political combination
of employers and employees. And the
developments which emphasize the
tendency to clash rather than unite
have come in the last few days with
the assembly in the NATIONAL Capital
of the representatives OF practically
all the farmers organizations in
America, who insist that not only
must the railroads go back to their
private owners. but that government
ownership in any form must not pre-
vail in this country.
Two days ago Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
ing the railroad crafts went to the
White House and asked President
Wilson to postpone the return OF the
railroads and grant two-year exten-
sion, so that fairer trial would be
given government operation and SO
that economic readjuStmentS might be
smoothly accomplished.
In that delegation were representa-
tives of four farmer organizations
George P: Hampton. managing di-
Gil; Paul Schweinburg. representing
the Wisconsin Society of Equity;
A. c. Welch, president of the Mime
sofa Society of Equity. and George
H. Girffith. Minnesota state manager
of the Non-Partisan League.
Many Farmers Resent Move.
Indignation which is unmistakable
in it's intensity has come out Of the
National Grange and affiliated farm
1000, 900 farmers, and the charge is
made that the four men in the dele
CATION which went to the White
House are representative OF only
small and radical faction of Ameri-
can farmers
Certainly the gathering of farmers
who claim the right to speak for the
agricultural interests of the country
is an imposing one. The list includes
the National Grange, which is active
ers' Educational and Cooperative
Union. which has large member
ship in thirty-five western and south
ern states; the American Farm Blu:
reau Federation, the International
Farm Congress, the National Farm
ers' Congress, the National Associa-
tion of Milk Producers and the Cot
ton Growers Conference.
Spokesman for the above organiza-
tions make it clear that with the ex-
ception of the few farmers and GER
tain astute men who have presumed
to speak for radicals among the farm
ers. the men who till the soil are q
unit against government ownership
or operation Of railroads. They see q
few would-b spokesmen of the farm
ers linked up with the Non-Partiaan
League and the Plum Plan 5LeagNa
that the farmers want a continued
operation Of the railroads by the gov.
ernment. Concretely, they do not be-
lieve an increase in freight rates
would follow the return to private
control because the government is
now showing a surplus In railroad
operation, and If the increase were
necessary the farmer is not as much
concerned about that as he is about
efficient distribution. Abstractly, the
farmers organizations declare their
whole protest is against national
ization of industry in any form and
that their present convention in wash
ington is to impress socialistic ele-
ments everywhere that they cannot
count on the support Of the farmers.
Party Lines Not Clearly Defined.
The whole thing is more or less
wrapped up in national politics. 1t is
true that party lines are not yet clear
ly defined. There seems to be a pre-
ponderant sentiment among those
democrats who have taken a stand
which indicates sympathy
with the Bryan wing of the party
where the slant or Irritation with So
Among the republicans the pendulum
tends to swing against government
ownership and toward the other ex-
treme, a phase that may throw the
support Of organized labor toward the
democrats while pushing the farmers
into the bosom Of the republicans.
Just now the railroad bill is tied up
in conference between the House and
Senate. The railroad brotherhoods see
not only a possible chance some day
of putting through the Plumb plan,
with a share in the profits Of railroad
but they fear the pres
ent wage scale may not be perpetu-
ated once the railroads go back to pri-
vate hands. So, both abstractly and
concretely they are fighting tooth and
nail for postponement of the whole
issue beyond the next election at
least. Obviously they would work for
the election of Congress that would
be pledged to an extension of the
period of government operation. The
farmers. on the other hand, would. If
compelled to carry the matter into the
campaign, support congressional can
didates who would be pledged to re-
turn the railroads at once to their
owners.
Pressure is being brought to bear
by he farmers on the republican Con-
gress to take the responsibility and
go forward with the legislation, but
pressure will be correspondingly
brought by the railroad employees to
persuade President Wilson to veto
the measure. The farmers organiza-
tions which are meeting here and
adopting resolutions designed to show
that millions of farmers want the rail-
roads turned back to their owners are
represented here by a legislative com
mittee who are said to feel confident
that if it ever should come to a show
down enough strength could be mus
tered to pass the railroad bill over Mr..
wilson's suggested veto. They point
to what was done with the daylight
saving law. which city interests and
President Wilson failed to keep in the
statute books.
Politically speaking. the align
ments are becoming clearer. The
farmers and labor have in common
good citizenship. good government
and other broad interests. but on
economic grounds they are revealed
this week as political foes of the i'm
ypadiafa fnfura