Evening star., 1938-06-17
Okie ard Burton
Letters Elicit Response.

Letters Elicit Response.
To the Editor OF The Star:
CONGRATULATED for publishing
the letters from Howard Pitcher
Okie and c. F. Burton in the June 10
issue. There is some strong language
in magazines run by people whose OBJ
ject is the complete destruction of the
American democracy and the establish
ment Of labor union dictatorship as
in Russia.
AS to Jay Franklin, one must have
read his book, What We are About to
Receive" published in 1881, to UNDER
stand him. His alteration of the Soviet
system and Russia in general is quite
unbounded. And he breathes hatred
against the "thick-necked American
politicians" and all others who "feel
free to excommunicate the economic
and social practices Of another country"
Russia). And in his desire for an
early recognition Of Russia he wrote:
THE anti-Russian gang is too strong
to be pushed aside In 1882. It includes
the American wheat farmer who has
been taught to blame low grain prices
on the dumping Of Russian wheat on
the world market and who breads the
idea Of the collective or industrial farm
on the Soviet model, as threat to his
independence. It includes the American
labor leaders who resent the Communist
efforts to seize control Of the unions
by boring from within and who have
found that, in negotiating with the
employers, the fear Of Bolshevism is
the beginning Of high wages"
Mr.. Franklins ideas about American
farmers is the most interesting. It was
these that no doubt won him a post
in the United States Department Of
Agriculture as assistant to Rex Tug
well when the New Deal got under
way. Said he in his book: "' FIJI
teen million votes await the man who
has the nerve to tell the American
farmer to go to hell The farmer
has arrogated to himself all virtue
and all knowledge he has planted
prohibition in our vitals, he has voted
against progress, against civilization,
against the city, against science, against
art + y He is the great obstacle to
human progress, and the great threat
to political sterilization. Sooner or
later we shall discover-as the Roman
Church discovered, as England dis
covered, as Soviet Russia discovered.
that the pagan, the landed proprietor.
the kulak, is simply so much mud on
the path Of progress and must be swept
aside If society is to advance"
Shortly after Mr.. Franklin's book came
out in this country, the Russian labor
unions shortened their hours and raised
their wages until they were doing prac-
tically nothing except holding mass
meetings. Having nothing to exchange
to farmers, they demanded free grain
as loan" When the farmers raised
their next crop, they raised only enough
for themselves and the labor unions
not only confiscated this but they turned
their Jay Frankins" loose and soon
worked up enough class hatred against
the farmers to cause the labor unionists
to massacre them. The unionists put at
least 5000, 900 farmers to death In the
greatest reign Of terror on earth. At
least 6,OO0, 900 men, women and children
Of the farm folks perished.
Since we have adopted the Russian
plan of government and our labor unions
have already raised and reraised their
wages under the lash Of agitators until
they are no longer producing anything
to exchange to farmers for food, these
workers will be going out to farms or
to warehouses and confiscating food
when the Government quits feeding