The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-05-13
YES, STRIKE! But AGAINST
THE CAPITALIST CLASS!

I'LL OE0 kkE11kUx O1Gf1JUs
The capitalist press reports that on May a
meeting of farmers at Des Moines, Iowa formed
organization called the Farmers Holiday As
ISOLATION. There present. supposedly 1000
people from midwestern and northwestern states
Among the speakers was John A. Simpson, ma
tional president of the Farmers Union. Others
included 'leaders of industry and agriculture"
The plan of the association is to call strike
on July 4, 1882 eff in the opinion of the officers,
this movement can be accomplished in no other
way" The goal to be accomplished is obtaining
equitable prices for their products"
'The holiday plan is that farmers nei-
ther buy articles nor sell their own pro-
ducts, except among themselves. In this
way, speakers at the all day session declar-
ed congress can be compelled to enact leg
islatiOn the farmers have determined as
needful"
The holiday" will be used for the purpose
of rallying the masses of farmers behind the bill
proposed by the Farmers Union, National Grange,
Farm Bureau, which provides for the equalization
MISUNDERSTANDING allotment agricultural
"relief"
Why are the misleaders of the farmers now
maneuVerlng with a strike Z"
Because among the masses of small and mid
die farmers there is developing a realization of
the futility of the methods of the reactiOnary
farm organizations and readiness to struggle
for relief and against oppression.
The misleaders are preparing to provide the
farmers with struggles" in order to maintain
domination over them. They want to be sure if
there are going to be militant actions among the
he. Iol
that they do not constitute danger for the cap
italst class, that the glow among the toiling farm
masses be prevented from burning into flam.
Just what kind of action do they propose to
the farmers? In the first place action will be
called for only eff in the opinion of the officers
it be accomplished in no other way This
action the part of the farmers, futile as it is
will be allowed to take place only if it cannot DE
prevented by other demagogic moves.
But just what kind of action do they propose
to the farming masses? They propose that the
farmers hang themselves in protest against the
misery of the present crisis The farmers should
go on a buying and selling strike" At whom do
the farmers strike by these methods? AT THEM
SELVES, AT THEIR WIVES, AT THEIR CHILL
DREN. What are the farmers able to buy now?
Only the barest necessities Out of the little they
get from their toll they able to buy just those
things which are the difference between their pres
ent existence standards and coolie standards This
"strike" proposes that they stop buying these
things.
Why do they call this a strike? Because among
the working Glass; the "strike" means united &C
ton against the capitalist class in one factory
in many factories in defense of the workers econ
Omic standards or political rights. The word
"strike" means united class conscious action a.
gainst the oppressors The misleaders among the
farming masses would hide their demagOgic FAC
ton" program under the term "strike." This is
not strike. This is self inflicted attack on the
living standards of the farmers under the hypo-
critical name of "strike"
The United Farmers League points out to the
farmers that the strike is the only effective
means for winning tax exemption for the small
farmers, for lowering taxes for the middle farm
ers, for winning reductions in interest rates, for
forcing cancellation of back taxes But this strike
that the United Farmers League calls for, for
which it organizes the small and middle farmers
is STRIKING AGAINST THE OPPRESSORS,
AGAINST THE CAPITALIST STATE AND ITS
PLUMBER TAX SYSTEM, AGAINST THE
BANKERS AND THEIR OUTRAGEOUS INTER
EST RATES.
The blows of a strike by the small and middle
farmers must be blows STRUCK IN DEFENSE
! OF THE LIVING STANDARDS OF THE TOLL
ING FARM MASSES, BLOWS STRUCK AT THE
CAPITALIST CLASS, ITS EXPLOITATION AND
TERROR. The misleaders of the farmers would
divert the miitancy of the farm masses into
| BLOWS STRUCK AT THEIR OWN WIVES AND
CHILDREN. It is our task to organize these
blows and have them DIRECTED AS BLOWS IN
THE CLASS STRUGGLE BLOWS AGAINST
OUR CLASS ENEMIES.