The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-26

lDub VI ltlC, Will IT'S uOu pdTIlSdu
program, it has fallen by the
wayside as a serious political
factor.
1t was the remains Of this latter or
ganization which met at Salina on
May II and decided to abandon its
non-partisan policy, and Organize in
place of the loosely formed league, a
closely knit Farmer-Labor Party, in
line with its sister grain growing
states of the west and northwest.
1850 Delegates.
The gathering at Salina convened
with $50 delegates, the vast majority
of whom were farmers. Some of them
we're among the worst exploited in
the world, typical American peasants,
renters from the 50O0O-acre tract
owned by Fred Scully, whose treat
ment of his tenants compares very
we'll with that of former Czarist Rus
sian landowners is.
The convention was given dis
tinct Tabor" complexion by the fact
that its permanent chairman was w.
e. Freeman, president of the State
Federation of Labor. AT the outset /
was called upon to address the con-
vention. / advised the necessity of
organizing class Farmer-Labor Par
ty upon the basis of a genuine work
ers' and farmers platform, and in sup
port of the st. Paul convention. Judg-
ing from the favorable reception ac-
corded my remarks on the banking
crisis and the wheat situation, both of
which indicate a basic breakdown of
the capitalist system of agriculture,
this gathering of Kansas farmers are
not so apt to be satisfied with the
various nostrums being peddled by
certain progressive" Republicans and
Democrats, among the least of whom
is the doughty Senator Capper
Have to Use "Liberal" Name.
In the discussion on a possible
name for the proposed party, it de-
veloped that Farmer-Labor would not
get on the ballot, because of state
law limiting the use OF words in the
official name to two. Consequently
the organization was formed as the
Liberal Party of Kansas; this name is
more or less tentative pending the
name to be adopted by the st. Paul
convention. The platform adopted
was of a distinctly class character, in
contradistinction to LaFollette plat
form proposed by one of the delegates.
The platform adopted contained
among other measures a demand for
referendum on war; reduction of
ornaments; the abolition of the in
dustrial court law; protection for farm
tenants.
A state executive committee was
elected, composed Of sixteen members,
men and women, two from each con-
gressional district Gus Eckwald was
selected as chairman; Ulysses Reg
nier, vice-chairman, and M. L. Amos,
secretary-treasurer Fred ]. Fraley,
editor of the Kansas Leader, (the Of
fetal organ of the Nonpartisian
League, published at Salina) was
nominated for U. S. Senator, to run
against Capper Ten husky farmers
were elected as delegates to the st.
Paul convention on June II.
Brotherhoods Endorse New Party.
On the following day at Wichita the
trade unionists both of the A. r. of
l.. and the Brotherhoods who are or
ganized in a state non-partisian polit-
ical organization, met and after much
discussion and debate endorsed by a
majority vote the party organized at
Salina.
The railroad Brotherhood made
bitter attack upon the newly organized
party taking upon itself the right to
endorse a presidential candidate. They
upheld the possible selection Of Nc
Adoo and protested that it would be
making split and mourning a serious
mistake to nominate a presidential
candidate before seeing what the Re-
publican or Democratic conventions
would do.
A vote was taken on this proposition
and 1t virtually amounted to vote for
or against McAdoo, it stood IL for and
16 against. William Mahoney of st.
RAUL anu D. II. ouJucI AIOni OhldhOAudf
were present at this conference and 1t
was largely due to the arguments Of
Mahoney based upon his experience
in Minnesota that favorable result
was brought on, tho the conference in
sisted on retaining its state non
partisan policy for the coming cam
paign.
Old Timers.
From this It can be plainly seen that
II is the farmers especially who in the
light OF their former experiences first
as Pops" then as Socialists and
again as "Leaguers, VINO, in the West
and Northwest are the backbone of
the present trend toward a real party
OF workers and farmers.
There are few among the farming
masses and especially the renters who
exercise the bureaucratic control Of
Gompers and Stone. and as con-
sequence they are more susceptible to