The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 15, 1919, Page 9

T — S a—— SRS o ‘Some Things Jerty BaCon Never Knew ~ Or, What Does an Old-Gang Editor Think ‘About?—A Drama i in Two BY RAY McKAIG SCENE I s LB home of Farmer Brown. Mr. 7 WM( Brown is reading a newspaper, while his wife darns stockings on the other side of the hvmg- room table. Farmer Brown (to himself): Doggone that Jerry Bacon!. If that 'man ever told the truth ; about the League I honestly be- lieve he’d apologize for it in next day’s paper. This paper sort of reminds me of what old Isaiah said once: “Truth is fallen in the street and equity can not enter.” (Turns to his wife.) Here’s our old friend Jerry Bacon again. as far away from right as ever. Here he goes rampagin’ around, roasting the Nonpartisan league. —of course, he’s’always doing that—and then soak- ing the Grange dnd the old Farmers’ alliance. Lis- ten to this editorial. (Reads.) “It brings us back to the good old days of :the Farmers’ alliance, the days of the Greenback Labor party, the days of the Grange. Those were not very sensible movements, and if they had succeeded they would not have conferred many or any benefits on even their proponents. But they proved to.be only passing movements of irritation among the farmers, - and after a while the farmers became good-temper- ed again, and all was over. Townley, bent on social- ism; has the shrewdness to try again to utilize_the farmer. Though prophecy is out of date, it cer- tainly looks as if he were about to meet the same fate that all his predecessors did. The farmer, as he appears in American hlstory, never stays foolish.: Probably that’s all there is of it!” (Throws paper " into corner in disgust.) And that’s all Jerry Bacon knows about it. I joined the Grange back in Michigan 44 years ago, and 1 was a member of the Farmers’ alliance too. Of course, Jerry could be expected to knock all the farmers’ organizations, but seems to me like -he ought to know something about them. Although " the less you know, the better I. V. A, you’re apt to be, eh Sally? : Guess I'll - down and tell Jerry a little some- thing. Mrs. Brown: Go to it, dad. And you might give. him a lecture on the Aux1hary as well. : Farmer Brown: (Putting on his hat and coat.) Guess I better leave that to. you, mother. Jerry deserves it. (Exit.) SCENE II. Editorial Rooms of Grand Fakes Herald Jerry Bacon’s private office. ,Newspapers scattered about room. Nonpartisan Leader, torn into .shreds, on table. Books in cases about room. (Enter Farmer Brown.) .~ Farmer Brown: Hm, looks to me as if Jerry could have found out what he‘was talking about if he’d taken the trouble. But, o’ course, facts might get in Jerry’s way, when he gets to writing about - the farmer. I guess he gets on better w1thout em. Here he is now. (Enter Jerry Bacon.) Jerry Bacon: Well, what can I do for you? Room and bath? Oh, beg your pardon, I thought I was over at the hotel. I suppose you want to subscribe to our paper. It’s the gr-r-r:‘andest paper in this great state of North Dakota. Say, I see you're wearing one of those “We’ll Stick buttons.” ' I sup- pose you're ‘one of. these Townléyites. Dang ’em! He'’s I think~ “own library? ‘e CAST OF CHARACTERS JERRY BACON, an old-gang editor. FARMER BROWN, who is “organ- ized.” MRS. BROWN, who belongs to the Auxiliary. Dang ’em, 1 said, dang ’em! You’re——you’re—you’re —nnn Farmer Brown: Just a minute, Mr. *Bacon. Don’t get excited. I don’t.want/to get another copy, but I get a lot of laughs out of this one. What I came to see you about is that editorial. You say that the farmers” Grange is not a sensible movement and that it never conferred any benefits on us farmers. Why did you say that? nearly 1,000,000 members today. Mr. Bacon: - Because that is the way I under- stand it. Farmer Brown: Sir, youn paper «s supposed to know the facts. There’s no excuse for such ignor- ance. Why don’t you read the encyclopedias in your (Farmer Brown goes to shelf in Bacon’s imposing library and picks up a volume of Britannica Encyclopedia and begins-to read a de- scription of farmer uprisings a generation ago.) “The farmers’ movement was misunderstood, abused and ridiculed. It accomplished a. vast amount of good. The movement, especially the Grange, contributed the initial 1mpulse to the local libraries, museums ‘and farmers’ institutes, rur;al free mail delivery, agricultural exhibits. “It gave encouragement to agricultural colleges, establishment_.of the department of agnculture, in short, betterment of the farmers’ condition, irriga- tion of the arid West, pure food laws, interstate _comrhierce act on railroad rates and anti-trust laws.” (Farmer Brown lays the book down) and says, - Now, Jerry, all the conveniences that you enjoy.on your. farm you got by us farmers 40 years ago sticking to our organization. We were abused and ridiculed, says this encyclopedia, by just such men as you.. (Continuing to read.) -*The great mass of farmer radicalism became an accepted Republican and Democrat principle over the whole country. The farmers’ movement was the beginning of a wide- spread effective - protest agamst the menace of privilege’ in the United States.” Jerry (bewildered): I never knew that before. Farmer Brown: I thought so. I see you have the International Encyclopedia on your shelf. Let’s see what this book says about the farmers’ Grange. (Begins to read.) “The Grange was largely re- sponmble in‘'securing the passage of the postal sav- ings law, oleomargarine law, parcel post law and many others, which show a broad-mmded states- manship.” Mr. Bacon: But I was also talkmg about the Farmers’ alliance. . Farmer Brown: Now we'll take up the Farmers’ alliance. I see you have the American Encyclo- pedia on your table. Let’s read—*“In 1889 the Farmers” alliance was a movement against plutoc- racy and combination of wealth. It was a national organization to secure favorable legislation for anti-speculation laws, government ownership ‘of railroads, loans from the government on farms at low rates of interest, subtreasunes to. store farm produce ‘You, Jerry, call all that bunk, The Federal Farm_ Loan bank to let you borrow money at a low rate of mterest on your farm is a result of our agltation 2 : PAGE NINE We have | RS Wwwf“&mf&%hk A S R AR T Scenes and a Look at Jerry Bacon’s Library It is just a question of time when we will have government storehouses for wheat and nonperish- . able farm produce. Mr. Bacon: Is all that in that encyclopedia you are reading? Farmer Brown: Yes, and that’s not all. It says that our platform was the first to demand an income tax and a secret ballot—the Australian ballot of to- day that is now our law. We got the interstate commerce commission created. Our Farmers’ alli- ance demanded woman suffrage. In 1889 we agitat- ed for the election of United States senators by a popular vote. Thexe were men like you, at that time, calling us fools. If we had been in war they would have called us pro-German and traitors and disloyal. Mr. Bacon: Well, I never knew that you farmers ever stood for those things. Farmer Brown: That’s ]hst the trouble. You "abuse without reading; you write editorials without knowledge and here these encyclopedias are right beside you. Now, I notice that you hit the “Green- backers.” Mr. Bacon: I have enough for today. Farmer Brown: Oh, nd! Right there in your library I see a copy of the “History of Political Parties,” by James Albert Woodburn. He says the “Greenbackers orgamzed in 1884. They were ridi- culed as impecunious debtors. But they were, as a rule, earnest, honest and patriotic .men. The Greenbackers had their origin among the common folks.” We Nonpartxsans are the common people, Jerry You don’t understand us common folks. You asso- ciate too much with those Twin Cities profiteers. You are as ignorant about the Nonpartisan league today as you are of the farmers’ movements years ago, which did so much good. Mr. Bacon: Get out, I won’t listen any more. ‘Farmer Brown (picking up his hat): I'm ‘sorry, Jerry. Your editorial said the farmer as he appears in American history never stays foolish. That’s true. Editors like you are the. only fellows that stay foolish. Here at your elbow you had these books in your library, and you never took the trou- ble to read. Mr. Bacon: I have no time to read, your leaders are crooks. Farmer Brown: Men like yourself fought against i these farmer movements 25 .to 40 years ago, and called our leaders crooks. We old Grangers and old Farmers’ alliance men and Greenbackers were criti- cized and ridiculed by the Jerry Bacons, Norman Blacks and the Tom Parker Junkins in our day. Mr. Bacon: You are too radical. Farmer Brown: The Nonpartisan league today is no more radical than those other farmer organi- zations. Its program is common sense. You are fighting it. Somebody is paying your bills. Thirty years from'now history will teil of the great reform program we put through in spite of such men as yourself. 'You are a professional -knocker. And what will hurt you more is, the Republican and Democratic parties will soon adopt our program just like they did before.. Do you want me to tell you something more? Mr. Bacon: No, I've heard enough for one day, I guess. (To himself): Doggone that Tom Parker Junkin! There he goes, getting me in bad again. ale (CURTAIN.). (detor's note: The reader .will be amazed to find in the above-mentioned volumes all the facts as presented What was considered radlcahsm yes- terday is conservatism of today.) OSBESTOS . CURTAIN N