The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-13
BY RALPH INGERSON.
president Burke County Farmers
Union.)

Union.)
FLAXTON, N. DIN the minds of
many farmers, there is considerable
confusion and indecision as to what
means can best be applied to bring
to them, as a class, the nearest pos
sible approach to justice; which
method can best be used to abolish
the various forms of injustice that
are depressing them.
This confusion is due largely to the
constantly reiterated statements of
their exploiters and their agents, and
even by some of their so-called lead
| ers that nothing can be done to re-
lieve the farmers economic condition
through legislation, or governmental
action"--the continuous propaganda
belittling their achievements in the
political field, and finally the very
limited success that has attended their
efforts through cooperative legisla-
ton to fight monopoly in the pur-
chase of the things they buy and the
manipulation of the markets where
their products are sold.
The fact of the matter is that only
by intelligently utilizing both meth
! DDS can satisfactory progress be
made. BY recognizing the limitations
of each and the necessity for both,
those who have espoused one method
and excluded the other may bring
united front to oppose the forces of
exploitation.
Sure to Bring on Battle.
Any effective program of farm re-
| lief whether cooperative or political,
must be organized to attain the same
object: that is, to remove some of the
parasites that exploit the farmer.
| Any program that will do that, even
! if only to a limited extent, will very
soon attract the united opposition of
| the exploiting class. When the kept
press attacks either farmers, poll
teal or cooperative organization 1t is
good evidence that such organization
has a program that is effective and
is threat at profits.
Claims nowadays freely made by
politicians and some labor and farm
er leaders that it is possible to bring
relief to farmers through some hocus-
pocus in new method of applying
the republican protective tariff, is of
this class, and is foredoomed to fail
ure. 1t is fundamentally impossible
| to give the masses an unfair advan-
tage such as is given the capitalist
exploiters by the tariff. 1t is only an
advantage for them because it will
enrich the few at the disadvantage
ard expense of the many. The masses
cannot be given any such special
privileges because they are not "few'
and there are no unorganized many"
for them to exploit.
Must Control Government.
The political program of organized
/ farmers should be directed toward the
abolition Of the various forms of in
justice that Cypress them. They
should seek to control government, to
establish government-oWned institu-
tions that will perform services at
cost that are now controlled and mon
opolized by capitalist exploiters who
render service at enormous profit to
themselves.
institutions such as state and ma
ltional-owned terminal storage facili-
ties, mills, packing plants. railroads,
markets, etc. Such things as will
actually abolish some of the parasites
that feed on the farmer, should be
the kind of political program that
farmers should support.
In the cooperative field, farmers
soon come to see it's limitations. They
can make some savings by buying
their supplies comparatively and can
secure other benefits through mar
keting their products collectively.
When either those methods show
promise Of being effective--that is
begin to jeopardize the profit of some
parasite-the powers of the exploita-
ton bring to bear upon them all the
corrupt forces of intrenched privi-
Ilege; the courts, discriminatory trans
portation rates, boycotts by manu-
facturers, jobbers and wholesalers,
unfair grading rules, etc. The mem
bers of the cooperative soon begin to
see the necessity of political action to
protect their cooperative endeavors.
So far in America, farmer and labor
organizations have attempted to use
their political power in the two CAPT
talist controlled parties, the republi-
can and democratic parties, and up to
this time they have been led up blind
J alleys by the promises of politician