The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-11-07
come to seem as nothing.

and their takings from the peoples
sustenance' have been as nothing
when compared with the takines Of
the politicians.
The farmer would be sick to the
point Of insanity who would willingly
take the medicine prescribed by the
five governors, even though those
gentlemen gravely assured the presi-
dent they could SELL tho idea to
the people Of their own states.
Other objections to the proposal
are outlined in the statement issued
by the president after his confab
with the wise men from the west.
They are worth studying. They give
still further insight into the presi-
dents manner Of thinking and his
reaction to the problems Of agricul-
ture. They prove that he Is more
interested in getting results than in
putting on q political show. For
this the nation-and particularly the
farmers-should be grateful. We
have had too many political shows,
not enough honest and whole -souled
action.
The expedition to Washing o n
seems to have been, on the whole,
Ill conceived. In way, the COVER
nors rushed into the breach in a
manner and at Z time when they
might better have been at home
tending to their own knitting. IT.
was patiently an effort to crash the
spotlight and II, as seems possible, it
swings away from them and leaves
them in utter darkness at some fu-
ture time, they have only themselves
to blame.
Not one Of these governors but
would give up his post to obtain a
seat in the United States Senate.
Few Of them would hesitate to trade |!
the jobs they have for q seat In con-
gress: From the standpoint Of pres
tige with the people Of their own
state, all OF them are outranked by
one or more men who sit in the ma
tional law-making body.
Why, then. did they have to rush
to the president to tell him what to
do? II their ideas were sound, they |
could have transmitted them to the
president through their senator's and !
representatives.
Were they SO naive as to believe
they could exert political pressure !
upon the president? They should !
not have been. II force Of this kind |
could be brought against the execu-
tive it could be made far more eff
fectiye by senators and congressman
than by governors. The former vote
upon bills which the president does,
or does not, want. They operate in
q sphere where their opposition |
means something definite and tan
gible.
When the five governors went to
Washington to tell the president just
how to go about the task of saving |
the farmer. North Dakota had two
senators and two representatives
available for the task. Minnesota
had two senators and nine represent
atives. Iowa had two senators and
nine representatives. Wisconsin had
two senators and 10 representatives
and South Dakota had two senators
and two representatives.
The total Is 10 senators and 80 rep
resentatives. all Of whom are con-
versant with the farm problem. The
governors, apparently. regarded them
as either lazy men or nitwits. else
they would not have hurried SO
swiftly to the fore.
Not the least interesting phase of
this whole business is the fact that
chief advocates of the theory that
farmers should be compelled to do
this or that were the so-called lib
eral' governors.
Floyd b. Olson Of Minnesota, as
spokesman for the group. gave voice
to the opinion that the only way to
accomplish results was to make the
farmer do thus and so. In other
words, liberal governor would as
sumo the airs Of an autocrat.
BY SO doing he expresses contempt
for the intelligence Of the average
farmer: challenges his honesty Of
purpose: indicates belief that, II he
IS to be saved at all. he must be saved
against hts own will.
It would be interesting to know
how many farmers agree with those
views.
Editorial Comment
| Editorials printed below show the
trend Of thought by other editors.
They arc published without regard
| to whether they agree or disagree
With The Tribuns's policieA
The Cost Of Rackets
mann XSsele YIE0selA- NEAlAnreosaaN