The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 12, 1919, Page 9

1 ‘Organize, Message to Farmersin Army e <5 BN LY Country Life Association in Third Army at Coblenz Told Producers Must Join to Obtain Legislation They Need, Writes Soldier The writer of this article is a_North Dakota boy who was editor of the North Dakota Leader until he resigned to enlist with the fighting marines. His organization is stationed at Coblenz, Germany. BY PRIVATE REX H. LAMPMAN INK more of what you really need in the way of legislation than you do of the words Demo- crat and Republican. “Pledge your representatives things you need—and it’s a good plan to pledge them be- before election. The farmers of America must organize—organize to market their products, organize to buy the things they need in the work of production, organize to get the things _ they need in legislation.” The speaker went on to say that they must or- ganize and be eternally vigilant to keep the things they already have, such as rural credits, parcels post and rural free delivery. For, he said, there are in American politics at the present time two opposing forces, the one liberal, the other obstructive; the one seeking to protect popular interests, the other seeking to protect privileged interests. And this was in Coblenz, Germany. The audience was composed of farmers, American farmers, every one of them wearing khaki. When I heard the speaker tell them to forget party lines, to bind candidates with pledges before voting for them, to organize to make themselves felt as a force in politics, I half expected him to go right on and say: “And the way to do all these things is to join the Nonpartisan league, and take ‘We’ll Stick’ for your motto.” The speaker was Frank Funkhauser of Spokane, Wash., who also wore the uniform of Uncle Sam. He said he scarcely knew what his own politics were. But he made it clear that he had given up hope of getting anything in the way of progressive farm legislation by voting the party tickets—and trusting to party politics to do the rest. He even advised the young farmers who ‘heard in congress to get for you the . . him—members of the newly organized Third Army Country Life association—not to bother the secre- tary of agriculture or postmaster general if they want anything from those departments. “Go direct to your representatives in congress; let them know what you want,” he said. “Ours is a representative government, not a pure democ- racy.” The Third army is the American army .of occupa- tion, holding the Coblenz bridgehead and the terri- tory surrounding it on the north bank of the Rhine. Members of the Third Army /Country Life associa- tion are also students in the Third army agricul- tural school. Mr. Funkhauser made it:eléar more than once in - his address that he does not think the true align- ment in American polities is between the Republican and Democratic partles but between reactionaries and progressives in both’ partles In the 200 in his audience nearly every state in the Union was repre- sented. I talked to farmers from New York, Ala- bama and California after the meeting. “Between these two opposing forces,” he said, “there is a political No Man’s Land. Another force will come in and occupy that territory. This force will be Mr, Doughboy, and he will turn the tide and decide the destiny of the nation.”. Then he told his hearers to forget party lines and organize as farmers. Here are some of the things he told the farmers - in khaki they must look out for when they “get back to the States”: Rural free delivery—watch that it is extended and not hindered. Rural credits—watch that the big banking inter- ests do not have the law which established it re- pealed or rendered ineffective. Good roads—farmers should watch good roads legislation and see that it is extended instead of limited. Railroads—they should never be allowed to go- back to private ownership, managed as they were before the government, under war-time mnecessity, took them over. The speaker told how the private owners are now asking for one more chance, after having failed to provide'a railroad system that would meet national needs in time of war, although/ some of them, including the Northern Pacific, has been subsidized with large grants of public lands with the idea that they would be of value in just such a national emergency. “Private ownership as we have known it won’t do,” he declared. He spoke of the farming methods by which Europe is able to produce 32 bushels of wheat to the acre, to America’s 14 or 15, saying that fer- tilization was a large factor, but that cheap money for European farmers was another. “ “You should know that before the war little Hol- land was lending money to her farmers at 214 per cent, and Germany at 3% per cent, and France at 21 per cent,” he said. “I am paying 10 per cent trying to build up a farm in the state of Washing- ton, and until last November paid 12 per cent. “Interest,” he added, “is the great blight on the farm of America. Are you going to return and see that rural credit legislation is perfected and extend- ed, or are you going to let some congress repeal it while you are sleeping ? “Our farmers have raised food, they have raised cattle, and they have been unable to get them to market. Two million men were called to battle, and the farms sent their full share. The farmers of America, with insufficient help, in 1918 put in the biggest wheat acreage in history.” He urged that farmers study ways and means of amending constitutions, which, he said, are awk- ward, cumbersome and not fitted for the expression of the will of the people. I wondered if he knew the farmers of North Da- kota went at the job of reforming the old state con- stitution, framed by the railroads. ‘When he said “organize,” I wondered if he meant, “Join the Nonpartisan league.” But he didn’t mention the League, and I didn’t ask him if he had it in mind. He was preaching economic justice, and his sermon was “getting over” with his hearers. If he.hasn’t heard what the 1919 North Dakota farmer legislature did, he will hear when he gets- home. And then he will have a chance to tell the Non- partisan farmers. of Washmg'ton if he thinks they should do the same. . | '~ IN THE NATION’S EYE 1 orzrsy. —Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris The “North Dakota experiment,” as it has come to be known, is now filling the eye of the nation. In all the welter of reactionary legislation, the achievements of -the North Daketa lawmakers stand out alone as progressive and democratic. The people in all parts of the nation are looking to North Dakota to lead the way to greater industrial and social justice. The interests are anxions that the North Dakota experiment fail, and are using every means in their power to make it ap- pear as a fallure. So far, however, they have been unable to blmd the people of the Northwest, who know the good that has been accompllshed PAGE NINE