Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-01-11

Z
workers. Mr.. Huddleston said:
in furtheranee Of the propa-
ganda, the farmer Is told weird tales
as to the earnings of labor. Il is re-
counted what a great quantity of the
products of the farm a days wages
will buy. II the farmer goes TO buy
pair Of shoes or an agricultural
implement, the high price demanded
will be charged 10 extravagant wages
exactly by labor for its production.
"On the other hand, the city la
borer is told that the high cost of
food is due to profiteering by the
farmer, that the high price of cloth
ing is caused by the exactions of the
producers of cotton and wool, that
high. Indeed, by the same misrepre-
sensations of farm products set
against each other and prejudice in
voked between members of different
mechanical crafts.
Upon no other common subject Is
there os much transformation ahoat.
So industrious are the peddlers of the
propaganda that the very air is sat
urated with false impressions as to
the return which producers and
workers of all kinds receive for their
labor. The farmer has little idea of
the fearful economic strain to which
industrial workers everywhere are
subjected. The latter frequently as
pire to go to the farm. They know
little of the hard and stinted lives of
those who till the soil. The indus
trial worker does not know that the
farmer was successfully debated In
1920, while the farmer does not yet
realize that labor resisted such de
flation with only partial success and
at tremendous cost and sacrifice,
and that labor's adyersaries are yet
deep in their plans for the destruction
of its organizations and its complete
subsection.
Rule of Sowing Strife.
"The source of inspiration for the
effort to prevent cooperation between
farmers and wage earners is obvious.
Small groups are enjoying the chief
benefits of our economic and politi-
cal system. They have seized upon
political power and are using it for
their selfish advantage. They have
usurped economic positions which en-
able them to exploit their less enter
prising or less favored fellow citi-
Rzens. Through monopolies, oppres-
sive trade practices, and by pervert-
ing our economic system they have
collected the bulk of the wealth of
the Nation into a few hands, have
made industry their personal servant
and have monopolized our mineral
wealth, water powers, and other nat
ural resources. Only the farms are
now left in distributed ownership, and
year by year holdings of farm lands
are increasing in size ard the num-
Der of farm workers who own their
own land becoming smaller. Even
owners of small farms have become,
through a mortgage system, mere
tenants, in substance, of great finah-
cial interests.
"These small but powerful groups
are able to rule both in the political
and economic world because of the
lack of cooperation among the masses
the failure of the masses to work
together They rule by creating jeal-
+! ousy and prejudice among the various
| groups of the people and by setting
| the units of the people to fighting each
| other. Once the masses come to an
understanding and learn to work to-
| SGilltT TIE VI Tie ccIilSIl
classes will crumble into dust.
"There is a present reason for the
effort to keep labor and the farmers
| apart. They are finding each other
out. They are coming more and more
| to know that their interests are not
hostile but in close harmony. They
are awakening to a fuller realization
| of their common interests and a rec
| ognition of their common enemy.
| The situation is not satisfactory to
the powerful selfish groups. 1t seems
that their victims are about to get
together The selfish interests would
set labor and the farmers to tearing
each other. They would again divide
the producers so that those who toll
not, neither do they spin,' may con-
| tinue to dominate and to receive the
best of everything.
| Parasites Are Favored.
at is indeed queer situation
that those who do the hard, dirty,
and disagreeable work of production
should be expected to remain con-
tent with the sheerest necessaries of
existence, while those who follow oc-
equations of little or no value to So
ciety continue to enjoy not only the
first fruits of the system but prac-
tically all of the favors of govern
ment. Such a situation is possible
only when the producers are divided,
are fighting each other. And this
the dominant few know full we'll.
''They realize that their success
hangs upon disunion and strife among
| the producers, and so they and their
affiliates, their parasites, and all the
array which their influence is able to
muster, are bent upon promoting
strife and sowing dissension among
the masses of the people which it is
their purpose to exploit. They know
that it is only by keeping the masses
| fighting each other that those who
ride at ease upon their shoulders may
remain secure in their seats.
| 1.-THE two points upon which there
is greatest need for cooperation be-
tween farmers and wage earners are
in the economic and political fields.
There is a desperate effort upon the
part of the opposition to prevent
them from coming together in either
activity. Both are told that the in
terests of the other group are in con-
flict with theirs, and every sort of
false propaganda is put forth to pro-
mote enmity and strife between them.
Let us examine in the light Of rea-
son and known facts these issues and
see whether there is harmony of in
terests between farmers and wage
earners upon these points"
Germany to discharge 100000 civil
caryipn ap1Dlnua.