The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-04-24
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E.U.O.T.A..

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Thy Speech Bewrayeth.
They're Not the Same.
Dingell Nailed Him.
The Tenant Was Sold.
This Gallery God.
1t would have been an eye-opener
to the farmers of this country, and
particularly to those who are mem
bers of the Farmers Union and the
Farm Bureau Federation, if they could
have listened in on the long debate
on the agricultural appropriations bill
which held the attention of the house
| from March to March 10. OF course
all speeches on the bill are printed
in the Congressional Record, but that
publication is not generally available
and-unless conversant with its Pc
culiar styles hard reading. Some
day we shall have congress on the
radio and can hear our representa-
tives give voice to sentiments that
are now covered up In the grey print
of the Record. If some of them,
protesting friends of the farmer,
could be heard, the retort of the
hired girl to the Apostle Peter when
he denied his Leader would fit in
well: "Thy speech bewrayeth thee!"
That's a good old word "bewray." It
means to accuse. We moderns would
say ut gives you away"
Repeatedly Rep. Dirksen, lawyer
from Illinois, who rose to say when
slash in appropriations was pro-
posed for the Farm Security admin
istration, or the Soil Conservation,
or Agricultural Economics funds
"This amendment has the endorse
ment of the dirt farmers. 1t has the
support of the Farm Bureau FEEDER
alton" He was caught up and called
on that by Rep. Frank Hook of Mich
igan, who handed him this 81 am
glad that he (Dirksen) has recognized |
that the American Farm Bureau and |
the dirt farmer are not one and the |
same thing. The American Farm Blu |
reau Federation does NOT represent |
the dirt farmer of America The |
American Farm Bureau represents the |
corporate and Industrial farmers of |
America" Which held Dirksen for
4 while-but not for long. And when
Dirksen was not bowling for "econ-
omy" for the farmer, Rep. Tabor,
another lawyer, from New York, was
in the same strain.
One of the effective speeches
against tn Farm Bureau Federation
vas made by Rep. Dingell of Michi-
gan. He nailed Edward A. O'Neal,
PRESIDENT of the FBF for claiming he
lad the organization behind him In
lis assault upon the appropriation for
he relief of the down-and-out farmer,
Who had been forced into serfdom by
diverse economic conditions. Mr.. Din
,ell calmly compared the attitude of
he O'Neal organization on this sub
ect with that Of the Farmers Union
nd having drawn It, said: SIS it not
roper to suggest that Mr.. O'Neal
oes not want any government agency ,
o help restore tenants, sharecroppers {
nd farm laborers to ownership and ,
peration of their own farms and !
bus check the growth of the type of :
perations he representa-" Rep Dirk
en-, at the demand of O'Neal, had
ut in an amendment to cut the FSA q
preparation from S70,000,O00 to $780, !
100000. Rep. Dingel gave him the c
-orks" on that. /
This is what Mr. Dingell said: "The Ii
olicy of Mr.. O'Neal appears to be a i
ind of modern feudalism in concept, v
elieving in the concentration of land n
in comparatively small a
roportion of the agricultural popu-
tion. This concept makes tenants,
and farm laborers sub =
ct to industria1ized agricultural =
engagement with ownership, more
ten than not, In absentee hands" ~
on may remember the wording of
- IL. IL
ne landlord sold to another, describ-
G the parcel of land and included a
e tenant In the deed with the W
ords: "The man, the woman and al
cir brood" That is the O'Neal idea et
ideal American farming. There is ~
It Farm Bureau dirt farmer in %
Q U. S. A. who would stand for n
att ~
But how did they put over" the 70
u cutting down aid to the farmer? to
lis is how Rep. Frank Hook of
Ichigan described the scene: "In
Q first part of my speech this morn 70
9, I referred to the fact that Mr.. q
|. O'Neal, head of the Farm Bureau, pc
Is in the gallery yesterday direct w
3 activities. notice he was there in
ain today but that right after the tn
: slash in this bill (that was the of
;A) he left the gallery. o, but he w
back there again. His lieutenants
you know who they are-left then, r.
t they are back now and at his -