The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-12-17

economically uuoOulAu IA ANS upPAA
cation to agriculture. President
Coolidge has accepted this view
and fought the original McNary-
Haugen bill.
Since then the farmers have been
fighting Coolidge. They are fight
ing him still.
If the farm aid organizations and
their supporters in congress cannot
get what they want, the question Of
relief may not be pushed to deci-
sion in this congress. Instead it is
expected that the fight will then be
carried into the 1928 elections, with
farm aid supporters striving to get
the republican presidential nominal
ton for some anti-Coolidge candi-
date. The choice is Frank o. Low
den, the former governor of Illinois,
who has invested some of his sur
plus cash in Illinois corn growing
and Arkansas cotton raising.
1t is claimed that Lowden will get
the support Of the republican west
and the democratic south. 1t is diff
ficult to see just how this is to be
effected in a presidential campaign.
1t was interesting to see the South
ern democrats whooping it up. for
instance, for the Illinois multi-mil-
lionaire republican at the recent
meeting Of the American Farm Blu
reau Federation, hailing him as a
Savior" This comes at the same
time that Southern democrats are
promising a break with the East
ern democrats under the leadership
of Governor AL Smith and Tammany
Hall, throwing in their strength
with the democrats of the West,
under the tutelage of William G. Nc
Adoo. OF. course, the democratic
divisions also grow out of the fact
that Gap Smith is wet and Catho-
lie, whereas the South Is dry and
protestant. "Al" Smith, also, in the
words of the late William Jennings
Bryan, is charged with being "the
creature of Wall Street." the enemy
of the agrarian South and West.
The farm problem, therefore,
tears at the vitals Of the two old
parties. There is little said in the
farm organizations, supporting the
relief legislation now before con-
gress, about independent political
action. Here and there the threat
of third party Is raised. Careful
efforts are made, however, to steer
shy of Farmer-Labor unity in the
political struggle.
It is significant, however, that in
the very week that these so-called
politically "non-partisan" farmers
organizations launched their fight
for farm relief in congress- also
saw the organization of the Progress
sive Farmers of America at the first
national convention held at Mime
apolis, MINI. This organization de-
clares:
"The producers of wealth and the
great combinations of capital have
no interests that are identical. The
struggle between these two classes
will intensity until the toiling mass
es become organized so that they
take over the machinery Of produc-
ton, distribution and exchange to
the, end that these agencies may be
operated in the interest of the many
instead Of for the benefit of the
few"
1t must be taken for granted that
any farm relief legislation that goes
thru congress, and that is favored
by either one Of the old parties, or
even by some third party split-off,
must inevitably be in the interests
Of the well-to-do farmers, the land
lords, the bankers, the railroads and
the grain spectators, with no ac-
tual relief for the working farmer.
The seething struggle over farm aid
in congress and within the old par
ties will convince increasing num-
bers OF those who actually till the
soil OF this fact. There is a great
field Of activity therefore awaiting
the Progressive Farmers OF Ameri-
ca and the independent political
action that 1t champions.