The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-05-16
An Open Letter to Ben Marsh.


Under the caption of WATCH
YOUR POLITICAL STEP" which we
print below, Benjamin c. Marsh, sec
retarv. in the publicity letter put out
bv the Farmers National Council,
with headoaurters at Washington, ID.
G. breakfasts the usual G. P. P. A.
SANDER about the mass Farmer-La-
nor Convention which will occur at
st. Paul, June 18th, and which will
launch the National Farmer-LabOr
partv, which the fakirs in the G. +. T.
a are doing their damndest to pre-
vent. which article is answered in an
open letter to Mr.. Marsh by Sen.
Charles E. Taylor eff Sheridan coun--
ty who was the Montana delegate at
the conference at st. Paul which
called the convention.
The people of Montana will recall
that Mr. Marsh delivered several pO-
litical speeches in Montana in the
fall of 1922 in behalf Of Sen. Wheeler.
The article in question, sent out
bv the above organization is repro
duced together with Sen. TaylOr's
answer to the same.
WATCH YOUR POLITICAL STEP"
every crooked interest and
dishonest privileged monopoly
which the Farmers National
Council has exposed denOunces
the Council as NEAR pink" if not
cred" Their chief objection to-
the Council is that the Council
has the facts and that the Coun-
Gil states them fearlessly and
does not play politics. The pro-
gram of the Farmers National
Council is well known. We wish,
however, to warn the progress
sive farmers of the nation
against the insidiOus and subtle
methods now being pursued by
certain communists who have no
real interest in the welfare Of the
farmers and wage earners. Not
all motion is progress and peo-
pie should know their goal be-
fore they start on a journey.
eve are unable to see any adj
vantage to- be derived from hold
ing a convention in st. Patti. on
June II. The Conference for Pro
gressive Political Action, which
is largely responsible for the or
organization work which resulted
in placing so many progressive
senators and congressman in
Washington, decided at St. Louis,
at their Convention in February
to hold a national Convention in
Cleveland on July 4th after both
Of the old Parties had held their
Conventions and in the light of
what had happened TO determine
whether it is wise for the pro-
gressive forces of the nation to
nominate a Third Party Candi-
date for President and Vice
President. Both the Minnesota
and the National Farmer-Labcr
Parties were invited to send dele
gates to this Cleveland Conven-
ton. The re was no shutting the
door in the face of legitimate 20
litical, farmer, labor or c0Opera-
time organizations. A group of
men from the Northwest, most Of
them actuated by sincere de-
sire to hold an Independent Con
vention at st. Paul on MAY Both,
later postponed to June 18th.
The writer has documentary evil
dence that the communists pro-
/ pose to capture this convention.
/. They may not succeed. In con-
/ sidering the ACCESSIBILITY of start
/ ing Third Party, every farmer
and wage Garner and every 9th
/ er public spirited citizens should
/ consider whether the progressive
forces Of the nation are thereby
endangeTlng the progress already
achieved by the progressive for
ces of the nation. These forces
which are meeting at Cleveland
on July 4th, 1924, have the well
fare of the farmers and wage
earners at heart, as much as the
numerically smaller forces which
are meeting at st. Paul.
Is it not therefore incumbent
upon the minority to consider
carefully the justice of the re-
quest of the majority who seek
the same end, as to how to de-
termine the political tactics of
the progressive forces for the
campaign of 1922"
TAYLOR'S LETTER
Plentywood. Mont
May 9th, 1924
b. G. Marsh, Mgr Di.
Farmers National Council,
Washington, d. c..
My dear Marsh:
| read in your current publ
city letter which arrived a couple
OF days ago, under the head of
Watch Your Political STEP" a
repetition eff the dirty political
SANDER put out by the C. P. P. A.
against the st. Paul convention
OF June 18th. You may imagine
my surprise at this skulduggery
at the instance of the dirty rot
/ NORRIS-'NTNCTAIR