The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 21, 1919, Page 17

e e A e A A A SRR DR If You Want a Farm Implement | Quick— - EAR in mind that we ‘have complete stocks of our celebrated David Bradley ' Walking and Riding Plows Harrows Disc Harrows Planters | Cultivators, etc. at our warehouses at Fargo, N. D., Kansas City, Mo., and Bradley, Ill, ready to ship at once from the point nearest you. Complete stocks of repairs also - carried at these warehouses and prompt shipments guaranteed. We can give you prompt service and save you money on high quality farm tools. Look in your catalog, borrow a neighbor’s, or if necessary write us for information. Send all orders to Sears, Roebuck and Co. Chicago, Ill. Mention the Leader When Writing Ad_mtim. Minnesota Farmer Asks Question | H. M. Gardner of Barnesville Believes Political as Well as Business Organization Necessary M. GARDNER of Barnes- ville, Minn., has sent the Leader a copy of a let- ter he has addressed to Wallaces’ Farmer debat- ing that paper’s stand ‘against political organization while favoring business organization for the farmers. After pointing out how other classes are up to their ears in politics, Mr. Gardner asks: “Why should not the farmers do likewise?” There is only one answer. The chief reason for its stand as given by Wal- laces’ Farmer appears to be that when the farmers organize, the anti-farmer gang gets sore and does very nasty things. Mr. Gardner also says some good things about the League, as will be seen in his letter given in full below: I have read with interest and pleas- ure all that Wallaces’ Farmer has published on the subject of farm eco- nomics and a university education along that line. There are capable, intelligent young men with vision who would develop under special training into such broad-minded business men as our editor so clearly portrays and as we farmers so greatly need to lead us into fair and equitable competition with other great business organiza- tions. But why deny to us farmers the privilege of a political as well as a business training? Our children go from the district school to the town or city high school, from there to col-- lege or university, and there success- fully compete in every avenue of learning. Other organizations necessarily re- sort to politics or send delegates to lobby for them at the capitol of the state or nation. Why should not the farmers do likewise? If it is legiti- { mate and expedient . that laws be passed favoring railroads or manufac- turing interests, it is just as expedi- ent that farm interests be looked after in the same way. I notice that the editor desires that farmers keep out of politics, and he very carefully separates political economy into two parts, business eco- nomics and politics—the one to be studied and the other to be shunned. The Grange, the Populists and the lI;Ionpartisan league come under his an. The Nonpartisan league, a farmers’ organization, originally of North Da- kota, is both a business and a polit- _ nesota, ical organization. The writer spent a day at the farmers’ exchange in St. Paul, in conversation with the man- ager, who is from North Dakota, and who is very enthusiastic over the suc- ‘cesses the farmers of his state are achieving in building mills and ele- vators ;and grading and marketing their crops of grain. They have . learned good business methods by do- ing business for themselves through their.own tried and trusted represen- tatives. They are a wide-awake, in- telligent, progressive, patriotic people, are the League members of North Dakota. The League is not so strong in Min- but is enjoying a steady growth in spite of some unreasonable and uncalled-for opposition. A college professor in Wallaces’ Farmer writes an otherwise splendid article to farm- ers in general, but warns them against a stampede to the Nonpartisan league. I like to see fair play. I am pleas- ed to notice the great strides of ad- vancement in farm life, and I welcome reforms of all kinds and fully appre- ciate the progressive attitude of Wal- laces’ Farmer. The article on “Farm Economics” clearly portrays the pos- sibilities that may be secured through educated and trained leaders who may block out the way for intelligent farmers to follow to financial pros- perity, to social and moral culture. Artistic farm homes and social gath- erings should be a cherished ideal of attainment. H. M. GARDNER. FARMERS MEET LABORERS Prior to the recent state convention of the Farmers’ union held in Topeka, Kan., the Industrial council, the cen- tral body of organized labor in To- peka, extended an invitation to the Farmers’ union through its state president, M. McAuliffe, for a get- together meeting during the week the convention convened, but no acknowl- edgment of the invitation was made and no arrangements provided for a meeting. However, representatives of organized labor “rounded up” a large party of farmer delegates and took them before several meetings of the labor unions during their stay in the city, and they were received with great enthusiasm. Both sides ex- pressed a desire to work out plans for greater co-operation between the farmer and the town worker. N. D. State Bank Ready to Open Soon (Continued from page 8) gram see only delaying tactics of the ' big interests in the suit and have no doubt whatever of the outcome. The commission has employed eminent counsel to represeént it in the suit and the case will be fought with the idea of getting it settled as soon as possi- ble. If it is a good-faith suit, which seems doubtful, the plaintiffs will not object to the earliest possible deter- mination of the issue. The filing of this suit will not slow up in the slightest degree the work of the industrial commission in carrying out the program. Throughout the state the press expresses the opinion that the bringing of this action is proof that the opposition to the farm- ers’ program knows it can not win in the referendum election which the In- dependent Voters’ association, an anti-Nonpartisan league organization, is attempting to get on the acts of the last legislature carrying out the pro- Petitions are now being circulated by this association to refer to the peo- ple at a special election the acts of _ ! the la_st legislature, :_md as only 15,000 . PAGE EIGHTEEN Ee L G names are needed under the generous referendum put. in the constitution of - the state by the League farmers, it is expected the referendum will be held the latter part of June or early in July. Even League enemies say there is not the slightest doubt of the out- come of the referendum if it is held." The people of North Dakota have voted by overwhelming majorities for the League program four times, and are in no mood to vote it down before it is tried and proved a failure. And ~ it will take several years to demon- strate whether the people have made . a mistake, : The referendum will be a good thing from the point of view of the farmers who have stuck so long and have so: freely given of their money and en- thusiasm to put thjs thing over. It will, if held, be a last and final demon- stration that nothing will deter them from going through to the very end - with what they have so long worked and fought for, and it will leave the opposition with not a single card left to play. It will then be clear sailing to the full realization of the “new democracy.” = S P o v ,. A ¥y b o~ . & : b