The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-09-30

AhS SOiItplSVS ouiluildIy VI iilo egiah COG
Why is the agricultural forum ot
America crowded? What means, this
unusual and altogether unprecedent-
ed stir among the people of this
great agricultural West? Why is it,
that without bizarre of trumpets or
sound of martial music, men and
women in all walks of life, are so
seriously and determiedly in earnest
in demanding, THAT which cannot be
denied, equal rights for the people of
the farms.
We do not have to go far to find
an answer. We are ait once aware
of the fact that it is not "a political
question that so profoundly affects the
movement has the fine support OF
members of all political parties and
of leaders in all lines of business. 1t
is not because there is a demand that
a new political party ought Ito be set
up. It is not because there rs any
well determined sentiment that the
constitution of the United States or
the fundamental laws of the land
should be changed or assaulted. What
then is the problem?
Tt is because the agricultural in
dustry of the United States is out
of step with other business groups.
1t is because the people of the rural
districts are out of step with the d.
vine music of the nation. 1t is be-
cause the farming industry is In an
economic straight Jacket from which
it cannot in any Houdini fashion, re-
lease itself. 1t is because the men
and women who built the West-who
produced the wealth that has made
the country great, are In economic
bondage-are wearing an economic
ball and chain. And the farm people
can no more by their own unalded eff
fort strike these chains of economic
slavery from themselves than any
one can raise himself by his own
boot straps. We are confronted by an
actual condition and not by mere
theories. The difficulties which be-
set the path of farm people are SO
difficult and so definitely understood
by thinking people, that it is amazing
that such frequent resorts must be
made to the forum to explain ITO peo-
ple who ought to understand without
explanation, what the situation is.
At the expense of the repetition, and
repetition is one of the weapons that
farm leaders must fight with, We pro-
claim again that the problem of
American agriculture, is not in any
sense what eastern political, financial
and industrial spokesman have said it
was, but is just this:
AS profound national policy this
Government has, through a series of
paternaistic acts of Congress, set up a
definite, protective system, well In
tended and actually effective, to give
and giving to labor, transportation,
industry, finance and commerce, a
American market, in
which they may, as for years they
have, eXacted a price level for their
service and products more than 100
per cent above price levels prevail
ing for such service and products in
1914. :,
These groups, operating out of al!
competition with world markets, sell
their products and service to the
farmers of America, and the farmer
Is compelled to buy of them. He can
buy nowhere else. He must and does
nav their price. The result of this Is
that the overhead costs OF carrying ON
the business of farming, has increased
more than 100 per cent during recent
wears, This means that the cost OF
production of farm products has m
creased mre than 100 per cent In
recent years. want to emphasize
that the farmer cannot buy any OF
the things he uses in the markets OF
the world. This lis a point my aud
fence should stick away in the back
of its head.
The idea lying back of this paber-
nalistic legislation was to place these
business groups out of competition
with. the world to the end that they
might maintain "a fictitious, law-stab.
ilized and law protected level OF
prices, strictly American IN their
nature. I say American because they
Drevail no other place i'm the world !.
It was to make definite provision Ton
q complete monopoly in the American
7,aaalxet. Goods from other countries
cannot be brought in to the Amerlcan
market unless they found a way to
scale the tariff wall and that way has
never been found excepting to pay
tIhe tariffs. IN.
The foreign manufacturers OF tne
xhings the farmer uses I'M tins coun.
t,-v cannot come into this market ane
.conpete with the domestic manufact'
,,,.er.s unless they pay the full amount
IF fine tariff. So that, these protect
II groups are secure in their do
1910 markets. Nothing threaten!