The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-01-06
MUST BE a CLASS MOVEMENT

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According to newspaper dispatch President Gun
nngham of the Iowa Farm Bureau federation spoke out
in meeting at the Indianapolis convention.
I'VE must be careful not to ask selfish advantages,
said H C. Mckenzie committeeman "The public will put
us in the Gompers class"
'Oh, hell' said E. H. Cunningham, chairman Il want
everybody to know Pm not altruistc about this I'm
working for the interests of the farmers
Evidently President Cunningham getting tired
OF the pussyfooting, shadowumpng tactics of of
the leaders of the Federation is the writer
Is the National Federation to allow itself be bull
dozed into refusal to really do something by the absurd
fear of getting the label of "cass applied
to it? How in the of the Ameri
can Farm Bureau federation be anything else than n
Glass movement if it is to change business practices
that hamper agriculture? The its plans
must inevitably interfere with the profits and business
interests of those nduging these practices Why
not right blunty and admit the fact as Pres
dent Cunningham had the courage to do?
1t hope the whole body of the Federation from
officers down to its humbest member will quickly
to President Cunningham's viewpoint
Stop Apologizing
Why should the greatest organization of farmers the
world has adopt the apologetc attitude that
to be prevalent only the national body
but in of the state federatons? The showdown
must come some time and it might well be now.
Is the American Federation of Farm Bureaus going
ahead to demand and get all it for farmers just
organized business and labor has don
cism or laebls will it continue pursue please
mister if it is not asking too much wish you
SO and course?
Will it go in and pound the table and say have
right greater share of this meal than get
ting? We going to pull up chair Here is plate
fill it up Or will it content itself with looking the
window and be satisfied with the SMELL just because it
will be thought selfish and mpote if it takes the former
course?
The Federation must look the fact squarely in the
face that it can not put its marketing program
without hurting somebody it does like do that
then it must abandon it's programl
Any far-reaching fundamental reforms that will help
agriculture must through legislation that is pri-
marily for farmers. To that extent il must be "cass
legislation"
The Coursseaus Attitude
Why has the Federation the courage to announce
itself like this:
We accept the challenge that movement is class
But it for the betterment of the class
which the whole economic and social structure of
nation rests.
Our object to make that class prosperous, to
the end that it make better homes educate its chill
dren better better clothes In doing these things
it will give work millions of artisans clerks
borers filling those 1t will make prosper
merchants and manufacturers If in attaining these
objects comparatively few individuals must change
their occupations not help it. Our is
for the ultimate good of ALL The fact that trust
zations caused the of thousands of individuals did
not prevent the very people who critcizing
for being class movement" from prasng such organ
zation being strictly in the line of business
Sooner later the American Farm Bureau fedora
ton and the various state organizations WELL must
come to this position their membership will melt away
The farmer is in mood to be put off with words He
wants action and he will let the other fellows label
suit themselves if it will only get him what he
Farm, Stock and Home.