The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-07-01
THE PASSING OF
GEO. P. HAMPTON

(By U. S. Senator E. F. Ladd)
The American farmer IS poorer
today than he was few weeks
ago. He has lost something infinite
~ more precious than crop and stock
and bank account. He has lost
wise leader, a stalwart champ
ion, and a devoted friend, George
P. Hampton, managing director OF
the Farmers National Council ana
the Peoples Reconstruction League
General Manager Of the All
American Cooperative Commis-
sion, member of the Executive
Committee of the Peoples Legisla-
lative Service, editor of the UNIT,
ed Farmers Forum, and national
legislative representative OF tne
Washington State Grange and oth-
er progressive farm ORGANIZATIONS
passed away Monday June sixth.
For the greater part Of his mature
manhood, Mr.. Hampton has foughJ
the farmers battle on a firing Inc
where all too often, faithful com
rades were few. Through patient
persistent effort he was a strong
factor in winning for the farmers
the denatured alcohol law, the par
eel post law, and oleomargine leg
islation. For the past two years ms
efforts have centered on federal
control of the packers, government
control of the railroads, and legIs-
lation providing for better agrl-
cultural credit and marketing IA
cilities. He saw the need for these
measures while most men were stlIl
asleep, and he gave his life in in
cessant labor to obtain them for the
farmer.
Many men are admired for their
ability and keeness of intellect.
George Hampton was loved by
thousands because, in addition to
these qualities, he possessed a heart
and a conscience. If thing was
right, that settled it. He would
fight for it to the end, even though
he fought alone, even though 1t
cost him every cent he had. 1t
was his heroic courage, his burn
ing sincerity, his utter unselfishness'
and his answering fidelity to dem
ocratic ideals that endeared him to
all who knew and worked with him.
He was never known to compromise
with iniquity or injustice. And yet
in the midst of the fray he kept
sweet. Although he hated evil,
he loved men, and had the wisdom
to condemn the system which
makes men bad rather than the
men who are themselves the vic
tins of the system.
The Farmers National Council
stands as an enduring monument to
George P. Hampton's ability, indus
try and vision. He was one of the
first to realize that the organized
farmer must cooperate with the
organized city worker if they, as
the producers of the nations wealth.
were ever to be rid of the monop-
olists, middleme-, and credit ma
nipulators who exploited them, and
secure for themselves a fair share
of the proceeds of their industry.
AS secretary of the Conference of
Progressive Oranges held in Atlantic
City in 1910, Hampton saw that this
ideal could never be achieved unless
the progressive farm organizations
could unite in a permanent national
council to press their demands for
economic Justice upon the legisla-
tors of the nation, and at the same
time to carry on an unceasing cam
paign of education among the farm
err folks back home. With these
ideals, Farmers National Council
was born.
With the Farmers National
Council as nucleus, Mr.. Hampton
devoted himself to the creation of
a group of affiliated farm and la
Dor organizations which would help
the Council to win its struggle for
economic Justice. He helped to form
the Peoples Reconstruction League
a most effective legislative weapon
With labor leaders he organized the
All-American Cooperative Commits.
sion to promote direct trading, con.
sumers' and producers cooperation
and the mobilization of the work.
ers' and farmers money in then
own cooperative banks. He found
ed and edited the Farmers Oper
Forum (recently developed into the
United Farmers Forum) in order te
give the farmers the unvarnishet
facts about the vital political anC
economic issues of the day. HI
became one of the Executive Com
mitee of the Peoples Legislative
Service to make researches ant
supply fact to legislators, and t.
show up the records of faithles'
senator's and representatives to thu
voters back home. / think this
was the secret of George P. Hamp
toms genius; he knew how to DE-
teamwork with any and all men whC
had the farmers and workers in
terests genuinely at heart Part!
labels meant nothing to him. HI
was more concerned about results
than the avenues through which they
came or the credit that they nigh
bring.
Like the Hebrew Patriarch of old
George P. Hampton's career wa:
cut short on the very edge of hi!
Promised Land. The browning sue
cess of a lifetime's labor lay JUS
ahead of him. A direct trading
campaign to bring together farmer
producers and city consumers haC
just been launched. Federal regu
lation of the packing trust was
about to be realized at last. Large
labor organizations had pledged t.
-,