The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-07-26
Farmers Union Herald,

Dear Mr.. Kicker, Editor
What part should the Farmers
Union as an organization play in
the formation Of a working class
party? In the May issue of the
Herald you have given what can I
be taken as the official position Of .
at least one section Of the Farmers /
Union leadership.
"Bear in mind" you say, chat
the Farmers Union as an organi-
cation will not engage in partisan
politics. 1t will not as an Organi-
cation, participate in the organiza-
ton or support of any political
party"
We must say, in this connection,
that the actions Of the Farmers
Union leaders in the past have GER
tainly been far removed from the
bipartisan" policy which you
Outiire.
We don't have to go to any dis
putable source to discover this. In
the very issue of the Herald in
which you make this statement OF
policy you have also showed that
this has NOT been your policy in
action.
In talking of your experiences
with Hoover and the Farm Board
you admitted that at took a LOT
Of patience to go along and work
with that kind of dictatorship, BUT
WE DID,"
Then the situation changed. The
New Deal doomed on the political
horizon in 1892. What did the lead
ers Of the Farmers Union do then.
Here is what you admit:
Leaders in the Farmers Union
who had denounced our Northwest
group as Farm Boarders, all sup
ported the Democratic party. Many
of them made speeches for the
Democratic candidate. They were
the biggest Roosevelt fans in the
nation D.. While we in the north
west were as anxious to see Her
bert Hoover defeated as the fans
we did not make the same kind Cd
noise as some Of our more orator.
cal brothers"
In order not to leave any doubts
in our minds, apparently, you con
tiued:
Through the two years and nov
the third of the present admins
tration we have worked with TIT
AAA with a SYMPATHETIC ant
CONSTRUCTIVE attitude"
You admittedly have worked a
tremendously with both the Repub
lican as with the Democratic ad
ministration.
"Thus we have worked with tw
administrations (HOOVER AN
ROOSEVELTl-Ed.) 800 We sha
continue to work with the Roose
welt administration so long as tha
administration is the govemmer
of the United States.
Considering the miserable cor
ditions under which the majorit
Of farmers are now forced to liv,
including a majority Of the men
hers Of the Farmers Union in I'll
Northwest, your excuse for tn
kind Of political activity-that
Is constructive" like mos
kerry.
You might still try to convinC
TIE farmers that the above fact
support your claim Of a "non-pa
tisan" political policy on the pa
Of the Farmers Union leaders b,
cause
They have Supported both the RI
PUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT
PARTIES.
They supported the ROoseve
campaign with VARIOUS NETT
DDS, IN A VARIED TUN
WITH VARIOUS WORDS.
The sum and substance Of 70
admissions is that the Faune
Union leaders and whatever pa
Of the organization they could co
troll have been playing at CAL
TALIST politics all the time. sol
times for the Republican Par
some times for the Dcmocra
Party, some times one group
leaders has supported the Den
Gratis while another group was 81
porting the Republicans. Alwa
however, they have supported
parties Of Wall street.
And you say you haven't play
partisan" pOliticsl
You have engaged in parts
politics" but It has been the p,
tics Of the ruling class and not
politics Of the working class.
The impoverished farmers in
Union have gained nothing fr
this, they have been the foott
in this game Of leading them Fl
into one camp Of the ruling cl
and then into another.
You say you haven't played I
itics but you havel
We can see now what your pr
tice has been. Now let Us look
gain to your theory.
You say the Farmers Tn
shouldn't "engage in partisan
itics." Why not? Isn't the Ur
an organization Of working fal
ers for the most part? Don't D
tics vitality concern them7
What kind Of politics conc