Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-27
The Agricultural Conference

- While the national conference now
in session in Washington was called
ostensibly, for the benefit Of the agr1-
cultural interests Of the country, there
is very serious question in the minds
of the ablest leaders among the farm
ere as to whether the real object of
the conference is not to do the farm
er rather than to do something for
him.
In the opinion of The Yorkville En-
quirer there is no doubt about either
the ability or the sincerity of j. Skot-
towe WannaElaker, president OF the
American Cotton association. He
knows that the farmers Of the country
are being hoodwinked and fleeced; he
knows how it is being done, and he
would give his hearts blood for the
satisfaction Of securing for the farm
er a fair deal.
Wannamaker is very suspicious of
the real objects Of that conference. In
fact, he is morally certain that the
conference is not so much concerned
for the welfare Of the agricultural in
terests of the country as it is for the
advantage of the leaders Of finance
and industry. In order to try out his
theory, Tuesday, he proposed the ap-
pointment of committee on resolu-
tions intending that the committee
should be made up from known true
and tried agriculturalists among the
delegates. But the proposition was
sidestepped with the information that
necessary committees had already
been selected, leaving him with the
conviction that the whole programme
had been cut and dried, and he issued
n statement to that effect.
There is reason to fear that the OBJ
ject of this conference is not so much
to do what the farmers want done and
what they believe is right and just;
but rather to tell the farmers why
they cannot have the things they want
and believe they have right to.
Richard H Edmonds, editor Of the
Manufacturers Record, of Baltimore,
is one of the really big men Of Ameri-
ca. a high authority on economic
science, with splendid judgment as to
the just relation of all the varied in
terests and industries to each other,
and absolutely untrammelled by any
selfish human power. In fact there
are few such splendid men as Mr.. Ed
monds IN all the world.
Mr.. Edmonis makes no secret of
his opinion that it is the deliberate
purpose of the powers that be 10 sub
ordinate the agricultural interests of
the country to the financial and indus
trial interests, and the object is to
magnify the power and prestige of
finance and industry at the expense of
agriculture, and keep agriculture un-
der the control of finance and indus
try. BY way of justifying this view,
he points out how Secretary Houston
depressed prices of agricultural pro-
ducts by withdrawing without legal
authority the war finance credit struc-
ture on which it had been builded.
In the view of The Yorkville En-
quirer, it ought to be clear to every
reasonably intelligent man, whether
farmer or not, that in the war emcr-
seEcy the treasury department with
a view to securing greater food and
clothing production placed tremendous
artificial stimulus under agricultural
production and that as soon as the
war emergency was over, that stimu-
l&tion was withdrawn, to be followed
by the depression that has existed
since.
What the administration really in