The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 17, 1920, Page 3

IN THE INTEREST OF A SQUARE DEAL FOR THE FARMERS Entered as sccond-class matter at the postofice at Minneapolis, Minn., under the act of March 3, 1879, Publication address, 427 Sixth avenue 8., Minneapolis, Minn., Address all remittances to The Nonpartisan n. ? Official Magazine of Leader, Box 2075, Minneapolis, Min VOL. 10, NO. 19 Rlonperidin Teader 1! OLIVER 8. MORRIS, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, MAY 17, 1920 A MAGAZINE THAT DARES TO PRINT THE TRUTH d assifled pa i One year, sifled rates 8| i on apvlication. Member Audit Bureau of Clrculations. 8. C. Beckwith Special Agency, advertising represen- E tatives, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City. in adyance, $2.50; six months, $1.50. Clas- lun cl ge; other advertising rates WHOLE NUMBER 242 The Country Gentleman’s ““Class War”’ : NE of the most contemptible brands of propaganda is that O designed to get the common people of this country to fight- ing among themselves. This propaganda is intended to split the forces which are seeking reasonable and necessary reforms and to permit rule by the small but compactly organized minority of profiteers, monopolists and beneficiaries of special privilege. Special privilege agitators like the Country Gentleman, in spreading this propaganda, are promoting a “class war” of the bit- terest and most diabolical kind—a war of brother against brother. By article, editorial and cartoon the Country Gentleman and big business farm papers of its type are eternally and everlastingly hammering away in the attempt to inject into the farmers’ mind the poison that organized farmers and union workmen, the two great groups of common people, have nothing in common, that labor is a slacker in industry and a profiteer in wages, and that it is to the advantage of the workers of the farms to stick a knife be- tween the ribs of the workers of the city at every opportunity. The only propaganda comparable to this in demagoguery and self-serving meanness is that waged by certain types of labor lead- ers (few in number, thank God, and getting fewer) who agitate against the farmer on the ground he is a food profiteer, an old hard-shell, moss-back capitalist and oppressor of labor. It would give us exceedingly great pleasure to get the editor of the Country Gentleman by the scruff of the neck in one hand, and one of these anti-farmer labor agitators in the other hand, and knock their heads together till their teeth chat- tered. There are “class wars” and “class wars,” but the most senseless and meanest of these is that which pits groups of the common people against each other for the benefit of big-moneyed grafters. STRAW VOTES T IS an ancient proverb that I “straws show which way the wind blows.” Apparently straw votes go the way pointed by the hot wind of the old-gang politicians. Thus the Literary Digest poll in early returns showed General . Leonard Wood, white hope of the . munition makers, leading the Re-. publican ticket and Governor Ed- wards, champion of the liquor inter- ests, ahead among the Democrats. Let us compare the Digest poll with the actual vote in states which have held presidential primaries. April 24, just after Johnson had won sweeping victories in Michigan, Nebraska and Montana, the Digest showed Wood ahead in all three states, Lowden ahead in South Dakota and gave Wood approximately three times as many votes as - Johnson in Minnesota, although Johnson won wherever a fair pri- mary was held. May 1 the Digest used “additional returns” to cor- rect its most glaring errors, but placed Hoover ahead of Johnson " in Montana'and Lowden ahead of the field in North Dakota! In New Jersey, where Wood and Johnson ran practically a dead heat, . the Digest gave Wood a lead of more than 3 to 2. As a matter of fact a straw vote will give whatever result is desired—if the ballots are distributed carefully. Four years ago something like 30 straw votes were taken on trains that came into a certain western city. In every case the votes taken in the Pull- mans gave a big lead to Hughes and those in the day coaches a big lead to Wilson. It was the common people of the West—those who . ride in day coaches—whose votes finally elected Wilson, because - they. believed in what he professed. 5 Now who is getting the Literary Digest straw ballots—the men who ride in the day coaches or the Pullmans? Let us quote THE FARMER—“TRY THIS KEY” —Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris. from the circular letter sent by the Digest with its straw ballots: We are sending this letter to you and to other leading business and professional men * * *, The Digest poll frankly represents the views of the Pullman passengers. But the day coach passengers have the bulk of the votes. OVERALLS AND ECONOMICS RGANIZATION of overall clubs throughout the country might be an indication of almost anything. Intended as a - protest against the rising cost of clothing it has become a fad and a method of getting one’s name or picture in the paper. The effect on the cost of wool clothing is bound to be negligible. The man or woman who buys overalls for a fad will go to something else as soon as the novelty wears off. There is no incentive to cling together and make the boycott really effective. Clothing manu- facturers surely are not worrying. They can use the. overall fad as an excuse for depressing the price they pay for the farmers’ wool, but consumers who cherish the fond hope that the saving thus made will be handed on in reduced prices of clothing are due : for a sad awakening. : In one way the overall fad is having a marked economic effect. Overall prices are going up. The farmer and laborer who wear them for use and not to be fashion- able bear the brunt #Hgain. Admitting the “good intentions of most of the people who have tak- en up the overall fad, wouldn’t it be better if they got together to elect public officials who would take a - stand against profiteering? Overalls are a useful garment, but they are of more value when they are pulled over the pants of a farm- er or worker than used as a protest against a condition which exists to a large extent through failure of prop- er officials to take action to relieve that condition. SPEAKING OF CANDIDATES HE following is quoted from some campaign literature that recently came to our desk, along with the daily effusions of the Wood, Lowden and Hoover boosters: “The organization work the ag- riculturists have been doing for some time, and especially the last few years, is attracting wide attention; Now is the time for them to make one bold, forceful step forward. Say to the world, ‘We, the farmers, have a presidential candidate whom we are going to place before the people for their consideration. We know the master builder and we are going' to call him into service. He knows how to properly till the soil. He knows how to correctly direct great business industries. He understands labor from all angles. He has vision that covers national life from every viewpoint.” ” We rubbed our eyes. We knew that Governor Lynn J. Yrazier - i8 not a self-seeker, that he does not want to run for president, but would rather stick by the fight in North Dakota or else go back to his farm. Yet here was Frazier described to a dot. Who was spending thousands of dollars for letters to farm papers throughout the country to get them to boost Frazier for president? Then we looked down at the bottom of the letter. It was not Frazier they were describing at all. It was E. T. Meredith, recently appointed secretary of agriculture. And the writer of the letter ‘'was Eugene Smith, chairman of the finance committee of the Cal- ifornia Tractor and Implement association. S Does Mr. Smith’s description of Mr. Meredith as a horny-hand- ed son of toil fit the present secretary of agriculture? What about it, farmers of ITowa? And we believe a few residents of Idaho had some experience with “Farmer” Meredith too. Does the title fit? . PAGE THREE . T ————————————