The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 7, 1918, Page 4

~fore us and our own perils as well, /say: :'that are now held for speculation for . ;_the purpose of bnngmg the same Oklahoma Farmers Prepare for Fight Meeting in Oklahoma City on September 6 Lays Foundations—Convention for October 28—Grange Ready for Actlon——Resolunons Show Spirit Big Points in Resolutions Adopted by League Farmers of Oklahoma . “We declare that the winning of the war to make the world safe for democracy is of para- mount importance and to this end we pledge our lives and our fortunes to our country and to . President Wilson in his noble stand for liberty and human rights. “In support of the above declaration, we believe we can better serve our government in an or- ganized capacity than as individuals. “Therefore, we suggest that the farmers of this state allign themselves with farmers’ or- ganizations for the purpose of assisting our gov- ernment and to protect the farming industry. “We condemn all efforts of mobs of irrespon- sible persons to suppress free speech and peace- able assembly, and declare that all persons who thus resort to lawlessness, under whatever pre- text, are themselves guilty of disloyalty to their EFORE many more months have passed the map of strong League territory will have to be revised to include the state of Oklahoma, and the maps -at special interest headquarters will show another state in deep black. Oppressed for a generation- by land speculators, oil interests and market -ma- nipulators, they have long been ready for revolt, and now they are well .on the League road to fundamental democracy. On September 5, the League farmers of Cleve- land, Canadian and .Oklahoma counties met at Oklahoma. City for the purpose of pushing the organization work in these three counties and to make plain the Nonpartisan league’s position on the war and toward the profiteers. So successful and enthusiastic was this meeting that the farm- ers decided ‘to call a state-wide conference for MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, AT OKLAHOMA CITY, to which all League members, members of the Grange, Farmers’ union and farmers’ co-operative enterprises ‘are invited. At this meeting the local political situation will be surveyed and plans made for the 1919-1920 campaign. . It will be the big- gest thing in Oklahoma for a long time, and the stand-pat politicians will get their first big scare. GRANGE BACKS LEAGUE PLAN Prior to the September 5 meetmg, the farm- ers’ Grange appointed a special committee to draw up resolutions to present to the League farmers to show where they stood. If any one has any doubts as to whether the Oklahoma farm- ers are politically awake, let him read the fol- lowing from the Grange statement: “Therefore, let us here firmly resolve that our labors and sacrifices must not be in vain; that the sacrifices our sons are makmg and the lives they are giving must not be in vain, but with their glorious, example be- let us, like the real and true soldiers that our sons are, resolve that we shall ' give our great government, headed by our great president, every possible assistance in this war. “And with equally firm reso- ~Jution, let us organize ourselves into a firm political league, so that along with the forces of la- bor we shall triumph over the traitor at home—the profiteer— and thereby gain: that complete ~ freedom for which we have sacri- ficed and our sons have /died." They not only know what they want but they know how to get it— these Oklahoma farmers. Here are some other things the Grange has to “We request -that the council of de- fense commandeer all unused lands e A T AN A i country and its laws and are guilty of interfering with the prosecution -of the war. “We extend the hand of fellowship to organ- ized labor and welcome its co-operation and pledge our candidates to the faithful service of the workers on the farm, in the shop, the rail- roads, the mines and the forests. “In the interest of national efficiency during the war we especially urge the importance of the adoption by state and nation of the policy of eliminating all unnecessary middlemen, profits and labor in the handling of the ' necessaries of life. “We faver the government ownership of rail- roads, telegraph and telephone lines, and all other public utilities which are monopolistic in their nature. All other corporations should be under government control by a system of licensing. under cultivation during our continuance in the war and that the said lands be distributed among the actual farmers nearest said land at a reason- able rental to the owner. “Until the time comes when cotton gins and cot- ton mills may be publicly operated and owned, we demand as a war measure a different system of grading cotton, a different system of dealing in cotton seed and cotton seed products. “We further protest that while the farmers of this state are compelled to sell their wheat direct to the millers’ trust of this state, they can not buy the products of their wheat from these mills, but must buy from some middleman.” GRANGERS WANT FAIR PRICE LAW . They~also want a vigorous state law against price discrimination to break up the commercial favoritism which war conditions enable manufac- turers to work -overtime. “We therefore resolve that the next leglslatnre of the state of Oklahoma be-urged~to enact a statute requlrmg all firms, corporations and agen- cies operating in this state to sell to all or any other concern, firm, corporatlon or agency operat- ing under the laws of this state, goods, merchan-— dise, materials and articles of commerce at the lowest cash price charged any other firm, corpora- " tion or agency engaged- in selling such line of goods or merchandise. “It is further resolved that this organization select a committee to draft such a bill and pre- sent same -to the legislature of the state of Okla- homa.” These resolutions by the Grangers of Oklahoma, and the resolutions of the League farmers show that they are not deceived by the special interest cry of “Let us continue to rule and to profiteer while the war lasts,” and that they realize it is their patriotic duty as well as their interest to drive the burglars out of the house. 0il, to develop wluch great fields of derricks. like tlus spring ‘up, is one of the chief natural resources of Oklahoma, where the Nonpnrtlsan league' is organ- izing .and where. it has already adopted. a program for-selving political and economie qnestwns, explained m the report of its resolntim on. tlns page. ke They are go-' - “We ask for a more workable initiative and referendum and demand the recall so that un- faithful public servants may be quickly shorn of their power. “We favor a strict enforcement of the child labor law and recommend a practical and work- ! able minimum wage law, with strict enforce-: ment. “Legislation should be quickly enacted making our educational system more practical and en- couraging the development of the rural school system. “We further urge. that the farmers continue their splendid efforts in the .support of increased food production and conservation of food sup- plies, ‘subscription to Liberty bonds, Red Cross and other war activities. Patriotism demands service of all according to their capacity.”- ing to do their part as American citizens in help- ing to win the war against autocracy and in bring- ing in a better day for the common people at home. Ridden by the highest interest rates in the United States and by particularly vicious land speculation, these Oklahoma farmers can, never- theless, speak with 100 per cent patriotism, .for they know that their enemy is not -America but special privilege bloodsuckers trying to fasten themselves more firmly upon our country wunder the cover of war conditions.. A- better contrast between the spirit of these farmers and the profi- , teers could hardly be found than the following " resolution of the recent convention at Oklahoma City: “We hereby declare that’ we, as farmera and producers, will cheerfully acquiesce in whatever -rules the president, the congress and the food ad- ministration may deem wise in the regulation and price-fixing of our wheat and Gther products, and we earnestly and respectfully petition the presi- dent and congress to also fix a reasonable price upon the things we must buy, by regulating the products of the steel trust, the packers, the millers and other industries in whxch it has been recently shown by the federal trade commission that profi- teering ‘still runs impudently rampant.’” Right Voting a Duty Fergus Falls, Minn. Editor Nonpartisan Leader:- Just a word of comment on a piece in the Leader . entitled, “Votes for Lassies.” I think that the spirit shown in. that piece deserves credit. lieve that it 'is not only just but that it is a nat- ural law of nature and God that man and woman should have equal suffrage. I don’t believe it possible for either man or vmm- an to serve home and country in'the fullest meas- ure without the vote. For this very important rea- _son I deem it doing a duty, an act of patnotism, 2 for every American citizen to ac- quaint himself with the vital problems . ment, of politics and of humanity. by far the greatest class of slackers are those people who do not give their best thought to their conhtry I peo- ple do not use their reason in. study- '-unable to tell whether they are vot- mg right or not. =~ In Jaw they say that ignoranee is. no excuse.. Thls rule ought to apply ‘in voting. Serve God: and your country first “as well as you can, in as many ways as you can, but don’t forget that you. “can serve your country better with ' equal suffrage and abundant knowl- People of this country, get your eyes open, do your own thmkmg, and do. it before election, if you wnsh to serve. your country. I be- of voting, the problems’ of govern- - = In view of this fact it appears that ; ing government problems, they are ” - o s [} « L - ) L