The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-22
MONTANA WORKER
farmers FORMING
COUNCILS
Demand for Political
Weapon Spreads

BRENTWOOD, Mont, Dec. 20
William Bouck, militant leader of the
working farmers Of the northwest,
has organized number Of local coun-
ellis in. Montana Of the Progressive
Farmers. Following his meetings in
Plentywood, Outlook, Dagmar, Dooley,
Quitmeyer, Reserve, Homestead, and
other farming communities, local
councils were formed of the work
ing farmers, who are enthusiastic for
creating a new political party in this
country to represent workers and
farmers.
The local councils that are now BE-
ing formed are to organize district
councils, the district councils will in
turn organize county councils, which
will in turn organize state councils.
Working Farmers' Organization.
The organization is pledge-bound,
its business is to be kept in secrecy
! and IT will admit only working farm
ers. Bankers and large landholders
will be able to enter this organize
ton as easily as a camel can pass
thru the eye Of a ten-cent store
needle.
William Bouck in an address at the
Farmer-Labor Temple traced the his
tory OF farmers movements and point
ed out the insufnciency Of many OF
the present organizations and urged
the farmers to organize q new poIfti-
cal weapon which they will be able to
WELD in conjunction with the work
ers in the towns and cities.
Gives History Of Movement.
''Many farmers organizations have
come, had their day and passed
away" declared Bouck.
"The old Grange was probably the
first farmers organization Of any
strength in the country-organized
first as cooperative and political
expression Of the farmers, 1t grew un-
til in 1872 in Iowa it formed a poll
teal party and nearly captured the
state. Soon, thereafter, the national
Grange met and passed a law that
hereafter no Grange or Granger as a
Granger should enter politics. That
killed the interest in the Grange.
The Farmers' Union.
"Then later came the Farmers
Union and several others whose his
tory is more or less a copy of the
Grange. Along about 1SS0-S5 the far
mers of the west organized a yirile
semi-polNical movement called the
Farmers Alliance which was after
ward merged into the populist party
This party carried several western
states, put the initiative principle in
the constitution of several states, Sc
cured many economic advances for
the farmer and passed away.
Non-partIsan League.
Later came the non-partisan league
which secured many progressive eco
nomic advantages, some of which are
becoming Of great advantage 70 the
farmer. Other states also took it up.
Some secured great advantages thru
its work-it too passed away, having
repaid the farmers IN money and
training million times its cost.
Need New Organization.
Now we are in time of chaos.
Old organizations have passed away.
Farmers and progressives everywhere
are turning to a newer, more progress
sive, strongly organized and better
disciplined organization-as the fore
es of plutocracy are more strongly in
trenched today, than ever bfore. The
national chamber of commerce is the
strongest, most centralized organize
ton Of predatory interests ever
known. Always on the job at Wash
ington, ID. c., when there is any in
terest In progressive laws for the
producer at Washington and always
thwarting the producers interest. So
we have in this movement the en-
bryo machine that we propose 70
build and equip for the fight that
we see just ahead for the producers
of the country--to keep the farmer
from descending until he becomes a
poorer edition OF the European peas-
ant"