The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-04-29
Governor IS
Victim OF
Unfair Attacks

.IST. PAUL NEWSPAPERS WAGE
i VICIOUS FIGHT ON RURAL
i CREDIT SYSTEM IN VAIN, VENT
4 SPLEEN ON EXECUTIVE.
The Minnesota Farm Bureau Fed
{ teration is not concerned with political
affairs or issues, except as they may
affect the welfare of the farmers of
d the state; neither is it concerned with
the political welfare of any public of
lficial, as such.
4 But the Farm Bureau does assume
the duty of making known to its
members and the citizens of the state
the true facts when public official
lis unfairly attacked for doing his plain
\ duty in behalf of the farmers of Min
nesota.
4 For this reason the attention of the
people of Minnesota is called to the
lunjustifiable and unconscionable at
i tacks being made against Governor
Theodore Christensen by the St. Paul
i Dispatch and, Pioneer Press since the
Governor signed the rural credit bill
authorizing the issuing of additional
bonds for farm loans in Minnesota.
l.H0
vened in January rumors were cur
rent about st. Paul, and the state
capitol, crediting certain editor with
making boast, or threat, that che
would get the rural credit system
or break Christianson." Rumors
Iare usually unreliable and unworthy
of notice, but in this case subsequent
events lend much credence to the one
above quoted.
j Promptly an avalanche of hostile
newspaper propaganda was loosed
against the Rural Credit bureau;
Legislative investigation of the con-
duct of the bureau afforded opportun-
ity for special reporters to play up
daily, in column after column, every
lnsinuation, rumor or assertion of
unfriendly witnesses; admitted mis-
takes were exaggerated and distort-
ed
/ When the investigation ended and
a report filed which failed to bear
out the wild charges made, but recon-
mending changes in the law to cor
rect defects in administration of the
bureau, the House, by an almost un-
animOus vote, passed bill strength
ening the law and authorizing the
| issuance of additional bonds to ex-
tend the service of the system to the
farmers, it having been shown that
the bureau had rendered a valuable
and needed service since its estab-
/ lishment.
The Pioneer Press at once had an
editorial convulsion in which truth
was shamelessly outraged, the legis-
lators libeled, and the State of Min
nesota slandered. The legislators
were accused of throwing $3O,OO0,-
900 of the taxpayers good money af-
ter $4O,00O,00O of bad money and the
statement made that millions have
already been lost which the taxpayers
will find in their tax statements
In other words, the world was told
that Minnesota farm land is entirely
worthless and that all the money
loaned on it is a total loss.
These attacks continued in an eff
| fort to brighten the Senate into a
rejection of the rural credit bill, un-
til that body also voted almost un-
animously for the bill including the
additional bonds.
Then the guns were leveled at the
governor and a supreme editorial eff
fort made to bullyrag and intimidate
the executive into veto of the bill.
Failing in this, and with the auto
cratic editorial will of the Dispatch
and Pioneer Press thwarted in it's re-
lentles purpose (the motives for
which need not be considered), the
walls of its wrath have since been
poured upon the head of the COVER
nor.
These are the reasons why the
Farm Bureau believes the governor is
entitled to have the facts brought to
the people.
The rural credit question is too big
to be dealt with fully in this article,
but it may be briefly summarized by
saying that the funds voted to ex-
tend the service is not throwing s'good
money after bad;" that is was not
"the taxpayers money" that was vot-
ed for farm loans but simply loan
of the states credit for bonds, the
interest and principal of which will
be fully liquidated by the rural credit
bureau; that all the bonds authorized
may not have to be issued to meet
the needs of the bureau; that in sign
ing this bill the governor did not
violate any pledge against further
bond issues which will increase taxa
ton; that there has not been millions
in losses already incurred" nor any
final loss certain to find its way
back in the taxpayers tax statments;
that with conservative management
the rural credit, bureau will earn
profit for the state rather than loss;
that mortgage foreclosures were oc-
casionally known even before the
state made farm loans, and that wise
private loaning agencies sometimes
have to foreclose; that Minnesota inn
proved farms are not so worthless
/ that delinquent or foreclosed loans
mean an ultimate loss; that the farm
! ers of Minnesota have been saved un-
/ told sums through reduced interest
rates due to the establishment and
operation Of the rural credit system;
and that there is at least a remote
possibility that the latter fact may
have some bearing upon the unpopu-
laritv Of the system where it is un-
popular.
Newspaper attacks involving the
abandoning of truth and fairness
should not be permitted by the people
of Minnesota to injure public Of
ficial for doing his duty.-Farm Blu
reau News Service