Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1922-09-28
BABSON SAYS
Less Radicalism

Wellesley Hills, Mass. Sept. 49,
With so much talk about Bolshevism
and redicalism, one is led to believe
that the world is rapidly becoming So
cialistic. Certainly such thoughts are
evident when one reads about Rus
STA, Mexico, and certain other cOun-
tries. Roger w. Babson, however.
claims that this is not true. His exact
statement in an exclusive interview
upon this subject is as follows:
Socialism, as party movement,
is almost dead, so far as the states
home here. II is exotic. 1t does not
fit United States conditions and it has
no great hold upon the workers of this
country. The Socialist leaders know
this better than we do. They are ready
now to combine with other people
workers, farmers, anybody who will
90 into the combine. Previously, they
have been unwilling to hobnob with
ANYBODY except those who were will
ing to take the party name and party
pledges. Moreover, there is dis
tinct tendency on the part of organi-
zed labor to rid itself of the incubus Of
Socialism The battle has been fought
out as far as the American Federation
of Labor is concerned. 1t has been
fought out in the women s garment in
dustry. 1t will be fought out where
ever it is necessary and the conserva-
tives will win.
REVOLT OF FARMERS
"There remains the farmer group
the farm bloc, as it is called. This
fall will probably show more of the
results of the revolt of the farmer
states against the conservatism of the
present administration. This revolt
was inevitable. Our last election was
q postwar reaction and the tremen-
dous Republican majorities had to
come The net results of the farmer
revolt, however, probably will not JUS
tifv the enthusiasm which it has cal
led forth After senators and con
gressmen have been elected to repre-
sent the farmers, most of them will
continue to act about as senator's and
congressman always act, after they
get to be senators and congressman.
The farmers will be disappointed. They
will turn away from their radicalism
to other quarters.
"We have reached the extreme both
of radicalism and conservatism. We
are headed for a middle-of the-road
course. The days of the extremist in
any direction are about over. Now we
must get busy and saw wood The man
who is busy laying brick is not going
to listen to the call of the man who
wants to interest him in 'isms' of any
kind. The man on the wall is going
to say to the agitator: / am doing real
work and cannot come down to you.
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE
Nevertheless, we are probably 90
ing to have more of some things that
a good many of us do not like. We
are probably going to have more of
interference in the rail
roads. instead of less; and more gov
eminent interference in the mines,
instead of less. The drift seems to be
in that direction. But we are not
drifting that way on account of the
theories of agitators.
"I believe that the lease of life of
the soap box orator and all the rest
of the frenzied exhorters of our day, |
may be, for the present, cut short.
What we do in the next few years,
we are going to do because we want
TO. We are going to be governed by
conditions and not by theories. The |
main tendency is toward a middle-of-
the-road course. Most of the people |
will be travelling in that way. Our pro-
gress will be along that line. We are /
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