The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 27, 1920, Page 3

Entered as_second-class matter at the postoffice at Minneapolis, Minn.,” under the act of Marpc.}x 3, 1879. Publication address, 4 venue 8., nea; nn, Address Leader, Box,2075, Minnea; VOL. 11, NO. 15 ) 3 all remittances to The Nonpartisan polis, Minn. 2 IN THE INTEREST OF A SQUARE DEAL FOR THE FARMERS cl 27 Sixth 8., Minneapolis, L The + Nonpartisén’ VER 8. MORRIS, Editor. “tativés, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City. MINNEAPOQLIS, MINNESOTA, DECEMBER 27, 1920 - A MAGAZINE THAT DARES TO PRINT THE TRUTH - One year, in advance, 32.50: six months, $1.50. Clas- sified rates on classified page; other advertising rates on Epn]lcnuon. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations, 8. C. Beckwith Special Agency, advertising represen- cader & T (0] PROTEQT opl‘ own reputation for truth telling we are \ compelled. in this issue to take up.an unpleasant task. We < refer to.the article on page 6 dealing with the American Farm Bureau federation. In our issue of December 29 we referred to the alliance between representatives (or misrepresentatives) of the American Farm Bu- - reau federation and big business in the briefest man- Why This ner possible. We are compelled to open the subject Editorial again and deal with it at some length because organ- 2 izers and other representatives of the American Is Written Farm Burcaun federation have attempted to get out of a difficult situation by lying—by denying -the - truth of the facts set forth in the Leader of November 29. > Therefore in this issue, on page 6, we quote verbatim.from the report made by the Americar Farm Bureau federation on the “tax conference” in which representatives of big business and the feder- ation sat togther to devise new forms of taxation that would re- lieve the profiteer and throw a heavy added burden upon every farmer and workingman in the United States. It is this same pro- . gram, with slight changes, that Secretary of the Treasury Houston, is now attempting to put through congress. The 3-cent letter rate and a tax of 10 cents a -pound on tea were too strong even for Secretary Houston. Maybe Mr. Houston remembers that Ameri- cans, way back in 1776, rebelled ' -against an:unfair-tax on tea. Any- . ‘= —— p— how he substituted for the tax on' g tea an increased tax on “movies.” RESIDENT J: R. HOWARD Pof the American Farm Bu- reau federation appears from all the evidence to be deliberately lining that organization up: with big business and against the work- ing people of the cities, whose in- : terests are mat- Federation “m&y’tfhe St - as the farmers’, - Is Led Into He has not only Wrong Paths jed the Ameri- can Farm Bu- reau federation into the tax con- ference with big business. (where the A. F. B. F. delegates were whipsawed, double-crossed and horsetraded out of their eye teeth) but he has urged the pas- sage by congress of bills denying workmen the right to strike, the worst blow that possibly could be administered to organized labor. . This not only .is wrong in principle but looked at from the narrowest standpoint it is bad pol- icy. If the city worker is denied the right to fix the value of his labor, how can we expect him to STEALING OUR THUNDER— BUT NOT OUR LIGHTNING WHOLE NUMBER 26 ‘The American Farm Bureau Federation league and the Nonpartisan Leader are -not attacking the 4 American Farm Bureau federation: We refuse to be forced into the position of attacking any farmers’ organization so long as there is a chance of it doing any good for the farmers, and this . chance, in-our judgment, the American Farm Bureau federation still has. There is plenty of room for business Help to Put and economic organizations for farmers, as well as the Bureaus 2 political organization like the League. Thou- .Right Again lET it be understood now and for all time that the Nonpartisan sands of League members belong to the farm bu- reaus. Some have written us asking whether they should stay in or resign. To all such our answer is: “Stay in and see that thie farm bureaus give you your money’s worth. But use more diligence to protect your interests.” President J. R. Howard’s evident plan to line up with: big busi- .ness and fight organized labor-is<not all there is to the American Farm Bureau federation. The-Leader has commented already on ‘the work of the wheat markéting committee of 17, which our own Doctor Ladd is helping torwhip into shapé®™ And at the recent na- tional convention of the American Farm. Bureau federation at In- dianapolis there was laid before the delegates by A. F. Lever, for- - mer congressman and now mem- . ber of the federal farm loan board, a plan that if adopted will be the salvation - of American agricul- _ture. Mr. Lever proposes a na- and elevators for food products, against which the government is to issue and sell warehouse re- - ceipts, thereby enabling farmers to hold their crops until needed - by the consumer. OES this plan sound fa- miliar? It is exactly the . vators and warehouses and rural credits at cost. It is the solution that congress, in-its muddling way, is now approaching, but con- gress proposes to Let’SA Work make Ehe exi(:ien- sion of credit Together on only a temporary Right Lines one, while the : farmer needs per- manent relief and must have it. But talk about the proper so- lution will never get anywhere un- less the right men are sent to con- gress and the various state legis- latures. If the members of the farm bureaus will repudiate the reactionary leadership of men like President. Howard and will help to realize Mr. Lever’s plan by elect- ing to office men who will provide the necessary elevators, ware- agree that farmers are entitled to- : fix the value of their produce? The tendency of the officers of the American Farm Bureau federation to line that organiza- tion up with big business and against the workers is due, we be- lieve, to the plan of admitting " bankers, lawyers, landlords and business men generally to the organization, as well as working farmers. Such men, having more leisure time than the working farmers, have easily gained the ' ascendancy and to a large extent at the present time control the af- fairs of the American Farm Bu-: reau federation, Ctadin ‘As the Leader has pointed out in previous issues, many other states are at- tempting to “steal the thunder” of the Nonpartisan league by adopting laws modeled after those of North Dakota. But though they may steal our : thunder, as John Baer puts it, they can’t steal our light- ~ ning—the’ old “We'll - Stick” spirit. PAGE THREE houses and rural credits, there should be a brilliant future ahead of the organization. When farmers and workers hold political power the farmers’ grain marketing and exporting corporations, which the American Farm Bureau proposes, will be able to withstand the at- . tacks that surely will- come from intrenched big business, and win the success they deserve; -+ Instead of wishing evil to the American Farm Bureau federa- e 7~ true aims and invite their hearty co-operation in making the world a better place to live in, for farm- - ers and all other honest people. tion-wide- system of warehouses League plan of state ele- - tion we wish them success in their -