The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-12-28
BY J. LOUIS ENeDAHL.


REPRESENTATIVE L. ]. DICK
~ INSON, of Iowa, was applauded
in the lower house Of congress the
other day when he declared that.
after five years OF time there are
great many OF our friends who have
gotten at least to the point where
they are admitting that there is an
agricultural problem"
Dickinson, Of course, errs when he
thinks the troubles OF the farmers
started only five year ago. Farmers
had their grievances even back in
the days of the colonies, before this
country cut itself OF from the Brit
ish monarchy, to rear a tyranny Of
its own. 1t is only true that during
that last FIVE years the agrarian
crisis has become more acute. The
applause was rather vociferous,
even from the old party congress
men, since these middle class CAPT
talist politicians are anxious to
make display, even tho it be one
of noise only, before revolving toll
on the land.
1t is just at the moment when
finance and industrial capital are
making an effort to appease the
farmer, and persuade him to accept
his lowly lot as inevitable, that salt
is rubbed into the deep wounds OF
agriculture by the profit takers. The
agrarian masses smart under the
knowledge that the steel trust an
nounces a 40 per cent stock divi-
dend, dividing more than a quarter
billion dollars among its parasite
owners.
The cotton-surfeited South espe-
cially cries out in protest, since it
looks upon the tariff protected
United States Steel Corporation as
one of its worst enemies. 1t is,
therefore, not to be wondered at
that even the conservative, moss
backed southern democrats in con-
gress should deliver themselves Of
wildly denunciatory orations for
publication in the congressional rec
ord for home consumption.
Even the voice of a democratic
congressman may sound the protest
of the southern cotton farmers
against the great capitalists.
Thus Representative William c.
Landlord, of Georgia, under "exten-
sion of remarks" which means that
the speech was never actually de-
livered, only published in the rec
ord, declared:
''The Washington Post of this
city points with pride to the recent
40 per cent dividend of the United
States Steel Corporation and in eff
feet shouts now there can no longer
be doubt of the great prosperity Of
our country.
Let us not think that because
bandits hold up a bank and get
away with hundred thousand dol
lars and are prosperous then that
everyone else is prosperous; neither
let us believe that because the
profiteers Of the nation are prosper q.
Gus then that all the people of our
nation are prosperous. What is the
real truth? The United States Steel
Corporation, from it's mass OF stolen
goods, has declared a 40 per cent
stock dividend and this is hailed
with delight by many as a token Of
prosperity.
Away with this false idea of pros
perity. On the contrary, it means
that a few individuals have gotten
together a large accumulation of
stolen property II means that
heartless, soulless, constituencies,
big corporate interests, managed by
men in many instances who are cold
to every appeal of humanity, jus
tice, and patriotism. are plumber
ing. within unjust and basely dis
criminatory laws, hundred million
bleeding. suffering, and dying men,
women, and children.
ut means that there are too
manS yet, who rejoice over the I'M
just accumulation Of wealth by one
millionaire rather than over the
prosperity of the great common peo-
Pile. II means that the plundering of
the nation, or the common people,
Of hundreds OF millions Of dollars is
to be hailed by many as an act Of
patriotism and that the perpetrator
Is TO receive the plaudits of those
engaged in similar business or we'll
wisher TO 1t.
"Such dividends in the midst OF
the human suffering and financial
distress which is abroad in our land
Is not indicative OF the prosperity OF
our nation. 1t is glaring signal of
unjust and corrupt favoritism in leg.
islation and government. II is the
result OF the grossest sort OF high
price fixing OF what the common
people must buy and OF a stubborn
refusal to give the great citizenship
OF our nation even a square deal
For every chuckle OF delight
which dulls the conscience OF the