The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1922-11-23
A Surprising Election.

A Surprising Election.
The results of the elections of last
week can only be termed as most sur
prising, upsetting all calculations that
had been made and practically revers-
ing the action of the people at the
last national election. The press will
be studying and explaining this action
for many weeks to come, and particu-
lar attention will be given to the far
mer vote. Elections in the Northwest
undoubtedly will be cited to prove that
tn. farmer Labor alliance is an assured
fact.
Political prophesies, in our opinion,
are about as useless now as they we're
two weeks ago, because only time can
demonstrate what is going on in the
mind of the average citizen, and it was
the expression Of the thought of the
average citizen that reshaped the
political map last week.
AS we view the last election, it rep
resents chiefly vote of protest, with
out much consideration Of party.
There was protest against the finan-
cial and railroad interests of the
country. There was protest against
prohibition as now enforced. There
was protest against the way the bonus
was handled. There was protest
against the tariff, and against many
other things the consideration of
which constitutes crouch in the vot-
er's mind. The farmer rightly pro-
tested against the bitter pill he has
been forced to swallow the past two
years. The man in almost any walk
of life has been in trouble for many
months, and he is looking for some
change that will bring him out of his
trouble. The election gave him a
chance to show his discomfort.
The so-called farmer-labor alliance
appears to be a fact so far as the
Northwest is concerned. Both the
farmer and the labor man seem to be
using the same .ssort Of. protesting
language. They may continue to think
alike and vote alike for some time
They did the same thing back in the
"nineties." In considering this ALI
ance as a permanent one, it is well to
consider how the farmer, who wants
high prices for food and low prices for
manufactured products, has the same
! permanent interest as the labor man
! who wants cheap food and high wages,
which means diminished purchasing
power Of the farmers dollar. It is
extremely doubtfulif the farmer and
labor man can travel down the same
road indefinitely. g
The same relation exists between
the farmer and organized business.
The present trouble in the agricultural
world is at least partially due to the
| power of organized business and or
ganized labor to keep prices up, while
the farm prices stay down. An in
dependent rural vote is therefore most
necessary in these days.
The farmer has been given more
agricultural legislation during the last
two years than he has had in any
previous ten years. He has been CIV
en- about everything he has asked for.
He now perceives that legislation
alone is not the whole answer to the
agricultural problem. Some of the
! leaders in this same legislation have
been turned down in the election by
farmer votes, not only in the North
i west, but the country over. To us
this means that the farmers, and 9TH
ers as well, feel that any changes
made are not likely to harm the situa-
ton, and they propose to pick the man
regardless Of party lines. The real
, jolt of the last election from which
good will come is the fact thrust home
that the people are not slow to show
resentment when things are wrong.
Politicians are likely to study the real
needs and wishes of the people pretty
carefully in the months to come.-The
/ Farmer.
/ Success Isn't Worth 1t.
Here is Henry Ford's recipe for
success:
"Take your business home with
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