Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-04-12
SENATOR GANDRUD
DISCUSSES ISSUES


Dear Editor, Willmar Tribune,
Willmar MINI.
would appreciate if you will give
the following space in your paper. l
do not write this article from the
standpoint of candidate for office,
any office, but l think if you kindly al
low it space in the columns of your
paper, it might be of interest to some
Of your readers. will just try to dis
cuss, what I consider important sub.
jects, politically today. No doubt
there are manyMmportant issues con-
fronting us, but l contend that the
paramount one today is the cause of
agriculture. Linked with the emerg-
ency of today is the future Of Ameri-
can agriculture. Everybody must re-
cOgnize agriculture as the basic and
absolutely necessary industry-the &C.
onomic status Of this industry is al
ways reflected into practically every
other business and industry.
When agriculture is prosperous,
most every other industry or business
is prosperous. When prices on agri-
cultural products are not renumera-
tive to the farmers, it apparently hap
pens that most every other business
is hard up and non-renumerative. If
farmer is given fair price and fair
chance, he will buy more and as re-
suit most every other business will
enjoy stimulation and activity. Orga-
niZations OF real farmers, should have
the support and encouragement of ev-
cry citizen. The good, substantial
farmer don't ask for anything unrea-
.sonable, his desire or ambition is not
to hamper or destroy any other legi-
innate business. or industry-the only
thing he wants is a square deal. We
observe that great many farmers to-
day in this northwestern country are
hopelessly in debt-virtually bank
rupt. Prices on farm equipments, i'm
Elements, other things that the farm
ers have to buy, did not come down in
price proportionately anywheres near
the price depression of the farm pro-
ducts So-called "Big Business" will
use this term for the purpose, must
come down to a decent basis, give the
people a square deal. I feel satisfied
that it can be said without any fear
Of successful contradiction that the
so-called big Business" has as rule
recklessly ignored and lacked proper
consideration for the agricultural in
dustry. 1t is a recognized fact that,
the thing we call "competition" is the
life Of business, but combination pow
er has really strangled in America ev-
erything worthy the name of competi-
ton. Combinations of immense re-
sources and capital have virtually de-
stroyed the law of supply and demand.
1t will not do to forget for moment
that the agrarian sentiment which for
instance Mr. A. C. Townley organized
and exploited was. in existence, long
before he was ever heard Of and will
less the conditions that created it are
removed The spirit Of protest on the
farm is no new thing. It was the spirit
of the old Grange movement. of the
Populists and of the Equity as we'll
as of the Non-partisan League. The
league was defeated in North Dakota
last fall, apparently it is on the de-
cline in our state, somewhat defeated,
but the sentiment still survives just
as it did survive the political extinc-
ton Of such characters as sockless
Jerry Simpson and Mary Ellen Lease.
If the average big city business man
is disposed to be frank he will prob
ably confess to some impationce with
this constant talk Of doing something
for the farmer. Really, nobody, he
feels is doing anything especially for
him while as a matter of fact in our
legislatures, in and out of Congress,
efforts are constantly being made to
legis!ate in favor of the tillers of the
Farm Land Loan Bank, of the emerg-
ency credit measure, the cooperative
marketing and collective bargaining
laws, of the exemption of farm organ
izations and societies from the FRO
visions of our antitrust laws, of the
special wheat tariff, of the activities
of the Farm Bureau Federation and
other similar farm societies existing
in support Of the cause Of agriculture,
of the activities of the agricultural
bloc in our Congress and other things.
Hearing so much of this class move
ment, he cannot understand why this
discomfort should persist, but the
reason why he cannot understand it IS
simply because of the fact that he
fails to go back to the spring from
whence flows this mounting river OF
unrest. If he does retrace the steps,
say for instance of three or four de-
cades, he is. pretty sure to find that
the trouble is less with the attitude OF
government towards agriculture than
with the attitude Of business towards
agriculture.
It is not so much government OF
which lots of farmers have become SUI
spicious, but business, big Business
as he has been taught to call it. The
farmer is a manufacturer and a cap