The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-03-27
RESOLUTION NO. 9
INDEPENDENT
POLITICAL ACTION

WHEREAS: Throughout the
state Of Montana there is a con-
slant movement on the part of the
Farmers and Workers away from
the Democratic and Republican
parties and toward a Farmer-La-
Dor Party, as the only means Of
protection for the masses Of our
people against the oppressive,
autocratic control of Big Business
and powerful interests, and
WHEREAS: This sentiment is
caused by the knowledge Of The
people that the Republican and
Democratic parties have failed to
preserve the Constitutional and
Civil rights Of the Farmers and
Workers along with the small
business men that, in fact, both
parties are subvervient to the
same minority group Of selfish,
special interests represented by the
bankers and powerful corporations;
that the Republican and Demo.
cratic parties serve as mechanism
through which the American stan
dard Of living has been severely
and progressively reduced in that
these parties have handed out bill
lions Of the financial reserves of
the country to the large financial
and industrial interests: which at
the same time they have kept the
millions unemployed at starvation
levels and the employed at sub.
sistence wages; that, in addition,
the Republican and Democratic
parties assist the special interest
in pursuit Of private profits by
Offering no effective resistance to
the bitter opposition of open shop
employers TO farm and trade
union development, and that under
the two old parties an ever grow
ing army Of unemployed is being
isolated in subsistence areas; and
WHEREAS: State Republican
and Democratic machines have
further broken faith with farmers
and workers and other oppressed
classes Of our population, first. by
placing at the disposal of special
property interest, forces created
under the constitution for the
maintenance and protection of the
general public welfare, namely, the
National Guard, or the state mi
litia; and, second by maintaining
courts Of law, to which theoretic-
ally everybody has access to,
though to which the poor man has
but little or no recourse because
Of the financial handicap, or be-
cause almost invariably he finds
our courts controlled bv the most
powerful financial and industrial
interests in the community; so
that, in fact, the right of the
FARMERS and Workers TO protect
their constitutional guarantees,
such as the right 20 organize and
bargain collectively and by so do
ing TO- protect themselves against
intimidation, discrimination, un.
employment and starvation wages
and the right Of the common man
% justice in our courts have been
denied thus demonstrating that
the Republican and Democratic
Fartles are, on the one hand,
working directly in the interest IL
tne minority group Of special In
terests and, on the other hand, di-
rectlv against the broad interest of
the mass Of our population. which
are the Farmers and wage earn
erS both industrial and agricul.
tural, and the small, bankrupt
businessman and farmer; and
WHEREAS; A Farmer Labor
government, backed by the orga.
nzed support Of the Farmers an
workers and their organizations
VIII be able to attack monopolies
and weaken reaction at their most
sensitive and strategic spots. A
Earmer-Labor government will be
eole 70 attack The stronghold Of
the bankers upon the credit and