Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-02-11
OPINION OF AN OLD FARMER

OPINION OF AN OLD FARMER
Editor of the Askov American:
| have read so much about the fifty
nine billionaires who rule America.
and whose commands the whole pop
ulation of the country must obey.
They have for long time ruled our
government officials. l think it is
a shame for the common people Of
the country that this is allowed to
take place in this large. rich and So
called free country of ours. 1t was
during the years of the war that these
men obtained their power through
their false statements and promises.
They pursuaded our young men to
enlist in the army and risk their
lives, in the belief that they were
see that it led the nation, especially
the farmers and working people into
the depression that we now have. Be-
fore these government officials OBJ
tanned their power, many common
people had through hard labor be-
come economically Independent. They
had raised themselves above such
things as drinking and stealing.
Years ago it was very seldom that a
young man was seen drunk. But after
the government and the above-men-
toned powers began to take the free
dom away from the farmers and work.
ing people and prohibition went into
effect, it was a common thing to see.
Prohibition is meant only for the poor
people, the rich may drink as much
as they want.
The rich people now have taken
everything away from the farmers
AT the same time they have made it
so that there is no work to be OBJ
tanned for the working classes. Thou
sands are dying of starvation and
sickness, or committing suicide. That
things like this can happen in a rich
country is a shame. Only a few men
now own eighty per cent of the wealth
OF America. it is hard to understand,
but it has happened l am sure we
still have the power to stop all the
injustice that exists. We still have
the power to vote and | think it is
high time that we begin to use this
power. l will show a way which |
think will take a great deal of the
power away from these greedy money
men. They have, as we all know, a
large army of servants, who work for
them, and receive a large salary,
which is paid with money which was
obtained from the poor population.
We should have nothing to do with
these men who are bought by the
government officials, who have let the
money men ruin the country. We
should recall all these officials and
punish them as they have deserved.
We have good men who will work for
themselves be bought for money, they
have shown that they work for the
down-trodden lower class. Give these
men a chance, stand by them and vote
them into office so they can get more
power. Do not listen to the voices
from the Old Guard. saying that these
men are too poor and not learned
enough to hold office. A man does
not need to be highly educated to
know what is right and what is wrong.
The laws that are written by God
and his servants show us what is
right and what is wrong, and if our
good officials will try to work in ac-
cordance with these laws the people
in America will be happy and we'll
fixed. But our officials only work to
make themselves rich and to make
slaves of the rest of the population
as they have been doing for the last
fourteen years. This they have surely
tion To do this they must have
money and a knowledge of law. Both
these things are a power at the pres
ent time 1t is the duty of every
right-thinking man to work against
all the evil which exists in our rich
America, where we could live happy
life together, if we only would use the
learning, and strength which we have,
and would work against the evil pow
ers. 1 hope we can agree about try
ing. but we must start now.
Election year is here and the old
Republican Guard has started to make
promises about better times for farm
ers and working people. They have
raised lot of money by giving bonds
which the rich men have bought, by
this means they will lead the country
into greater debt. A few of the people
own eighty per cent of Americas
wealth and if they can keep things
going their way all the time, they
will become owners of everything.
Then they will say to us old foreign
born people. who have worked the
land, and who have made their riches,
l"If Won are not satisfied with work.