Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-11-03

Communicate Fading Issue
We had the privilege of a most interesting visit
with Mr.. E. A Draper, federal seed loan adjuster.
when he was here last week working with farmers
who borrowed money from the government TO put In
their crop. The thing we were especially interested
in was the attitude of farmers in this section to-
wards Mr.. Draper. One question after another
WAS put to him in quick succession, and he was most
cordial in making replies We found our opinion
expressed in last weeks Herald most forcibIy borne
out-that -the rank and file Of Sheridan county
farmers only seek an opportunity to work them
selves out of their present difficulty
In several places in the county MI Draper had
been greeted by pickets who were urging farmers to
stay away from the adjuster. to not even submit amy
report as to their financial condition-to Just ignore
these representatives of the government and amy
other collectors with q polite &c to He'll atti-
tude- Farmers, however, felt differently about the
matter They knew they had obligated themselves,
and they knew the honorable thing to do WAS 1T
least to come in and make = report to the adiuster.
explain their present financial condition, and then
see what could be done towards the extension OF
time for payment Suffice it to say that 50 many
farmers take this attitude that Mr. Draper has been
unable to take care of all who come to see him
How do these farmers feel7r We asked Of Mr.
Draper. Most of them are u fine lot he replied
Naturally they are discouraged over conditions. but
the great majority want to carry ON, and feel If Civ
en- an opportunity they will in time be able to work
themselves out of the holetr-
We told the adjnster that we understood the
government was only requiring that Is per cent of
the seed loan be paid this year, and asked il there
were many who would find it impossible to meet
even these demands. 4Yes,r he said. -there are
many farmers who cannot possibly pay the one
fourth now expected, but many of them are making
payments Of some kind, which goes to show they are
right"
But how about it if these payments are not
made9 well, said the adjuster. Il am accepting
whatever they give me, and reporting their c0ndi-
ton to the regional office In Minneapolis be
lieve some way viii be worked out to carry these
deserving people along without imposing hardship
Anxious to learn how Communist farmers we're
receiving the adjuster. We inquired concerning the
reception accorded him by them Well" conn
mented Mr. Draper, Il question very seriously If
there are as many of these so-caIled Communists As
people think. / had heard q good deal Of Com
munism in Sheridan county and when / first came
here, wanted TO meet some of the worst ones I
was directed to a certain locality i'm the county
which was said to be the hottest of all After
talking with a few farmers In that vicinity, men
who expressed an appreciative attitude towards the
government and were anxious to meet their obIga-
tons insofar as humanity possible, ! inquired again
for some of the ultra radicals Imagine my 4E
constituent when the man Of whom the inquiry was
made named some of the very men whom I hid just
interviewed. There was but one conclusion / could
reach-that the spread of Communism i'm Sheridan
county has been highly exaggerated"
- L l~-~- -I-- - - -----
ment that reaches down to the smallest farmer ont
here ON the Montana prairles and says. In i most
forcible demonstration of human appreciation and
spirit Of helpfulness, 4we understand your plight,
and we want to help You through" Little wonder,
in the face of this sort of understanding, that farm
ers refuse to follow q false leadership that attempts
to paint these men MS "hard-boiled collectors" or
those who, instead oil doing She best they can with
what they have, merely spend their time preaching
riot and revolution
Farmers are doing a lot of thinking for them
selves now days. They see the need of careful, de-
liberate action, guided by honest thought and honest
endeavor. The more we see and hear of such ex-
periences as this government representative work
ing among our people, the more we are convinced
that farmers of Sheridan county are no different
than farmers anywhere else in the country; they xre
inherently honest: they believe i'm God and in their
country; and they are not going to follow the teach
ings Of Communism or any other ultr1-r1dicals that
through riot and revolution, would tear down the
institutions they have learned to love or would defy
the government to which they have sworn allegiance
Communism is a rapidly fading Issue in Sheri-
dan county, Many of it's followers already have
learned the fallacy of it's teachings, the shaIlowness
of its exploiting leadership, and, with renewed de-
votion, are turning again to the sound principles of
real Americanism-
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