The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-11-13
A Truthful Answer

his home city and that answer rings
with sincerity and truth.
In recent weeks We have had
large number Of persons demanding
that President Roosevelt dismiss wal
lace from the cabinet. He has been
charged with any number Of things,
but always In general terms. The in
dictments Of the secretary by self
seeking politicians and self-styled
farm leaders have never been specific.
Usually they have been based on his
refusal to adopt one Of the various
quick and easy" ways to farm pros
perity which have heen suggested by
those who would accept no RESPONSE
bility II the ideas were espoused.
OF necessity, therefore, the secre-
tary's answer consisted OF . general
survey Of the farm situation and his
reactions to 1t.
Naturally. he took cognizance OF
the so-called farm strike, and his
statement regarding It does credit to
him - = true American. He made it
plain that he has refused to use the
power Of the government I'm various
subterranean ways to disrupt the
farm strike and the entire holiday
movement on the theory that the best
way to end such disturbances Is to
get more money into the farmers
hands"
That Is what he is trying to do and
1t appears that he Is in q fair way
to succeed. but he stressed the fact
that success Is possible only II farm
ers stand united and fight the battle
shoulder to shoulder. He made it
quite clear that the farmers can do
more to wreck the effort to help them
than any other class and that the
farm strike Is, essentially, wrecking
movement.
An excerpt from his speech, as re-
ported by the Associated Press, bears
careful study. Everyone interested In
the farming situation should read
and re-read It.
Here It Is:
II have been neither surprised
nor shocked by the revolt Of the
holiday folks.
ut Is true I have never seen
eye to eye with leaders Of the
movement. But when 1t has been
suggested that the great powers
Of the federal government might
be used In subterranean ways to
disrupt the movement, have In.
sisted the best way to stop this
kind Of ruckus Is to get more
money into the farmers hands.
The holiday movement Is like the
nerve to m aching tooth. You
deaden the nerve only az Z last
resort. Meanwhile, 1t tells VI Just
where and how serious the ache
u.
But when you have said that,
I an afraid you have said all that
can be said for such . movement.
Violence, destruction Of property,
HuQ oIOOOSneQ solve no pIOOAcNlO.
Statements Of the leaders deplor-
Ing such violence come q little
late and are Of very little use in
mending broken heads.
you can't get more Of the
consumers dollar by keeping milk
away from his children, and you
certainly don't endear him to the
cause of the farmer. In the last
few months city people have ac-
quired new sympathy for the
farmers battle for justice; but
let a. few more buildings be de-
stroyed, few more heads crack
ed, and q few more milk trucks
upset and I greatly fear the re-
action among consumers will be
anything but helpful to the farm
erS generally.
Perhaps worst Of Ill Is the di-
vision in the ranks Of the farm
ers themselves, q division that, II
not being nourished, Is ut least
being applauded by reactionary
forces hostile to agriculture. Isn't
1t about time w stopped playing
into the hands OF people who are
now, always have been. and al-
ways will b against agriculture7"