The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-02-16
PRACTISING WHAT HE PREACHED

PRACTISING WHAT HE PREACHED
President Harding is talking the same lang
mage now that he did during the campaign Tor
election Read over again his campaign speech
es and you'll be impressed with the frequency
with which he expressed exactly the same
views on public problems now that he did then.
For example, when Mr. Harding delivered his
address at the Minnesota State Fair, recogniz-
ed as his message to the agricultural interests
Of the country, he made it quite plain that he
favored no scheme that partook OF the char
acteristics of paternalism. He made that
clear in region where the non-p partisan league
had most of its adherents and near the border
Of the state then entirely under control OF the
league. He declared among other things, that
the government should encourage organizations
of farmers for cooperative buying and selling,
and then said:
'gTha concert of agriculture is as essential
to farms as. a similar concert of action is to
factories. A prosperous agriculture demands
not only efficiency in production, but efficiency
in marketing Through cooperative associa-
lions the route between the producer and the
consumer can and must be shortened" He al
so said in the same address, Il have no thought
of suggesting that the government should work
try to impose it upon the farmers of the coun-
try. That would be utterly repugnant to Amer
lean ideals Government paternalisTn, wheth-
err applied to agriculture or to any other of our
great national industries, would stifle ambi-
ton, impair efficiency, lessen production and
make us a nation of dependent Incompetence
The farmer requires no special favors at the
hands of the government All he needs is a
fair chance and such just consideration for
agriculture as we ought to give to basic in
dustry, and ever seek to promote for our COM
mon good"
Ii will be seen from the above that candidate
Harding was not seeking agricultural votes by
promising that the Government would lift all
the burdens from the farmers back or perform
miracles in agricultural finance. All he pro-
posed was that the government should give to
the farmer the same rights and encouragement
and protection that it accords to all other in
dustry.
The same general policy was expressed by him
in his address at the recent agricultural confer
ence at Washington. After reviewing some no.
table instances that demonstrated the success
of agricultural organizations, President Hard
ing said that farmers must avail themselves Of
the best methods by this | mean that, in the
last analysis, legislation can do little more than
give the farmer chance to organize and help
himself American farmers are asking for.
and it should be possible to afford them, am
pie provision of law under which they may car
ny on in cooperative fashion those business OPP
erations which lend themselves to the method,
and which, thus handled, would bring advant-
age to both the farmer and his consuming pub
lie. They make the farmers selling price high
err and the consumers buying price lower But
when we have done this, the farmers must be-
come responsible for doing the rest They must
learn organization and the practical procedures
Of cooperation. These things we can not ID for
them, but we can and should give them the
chance to do them for themselves. It will be
for them to demonstrate their readiness and
willingness and ability to utilize such instru-
mentaIities" s.
President Harding advocated the same sort
Of financial credit for farmers that is available
to other industry, but did not propose that the
Government become bottomless storehouse
of funds upon which agriculture or am other
industry may CALL LET the Government do il
for you," is not one of his policies.
OVERLOOKING THE BEST BET
IF ha ci+v council Sc rooII1y 1ooIx;~,c g. =