Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1920 — FARMERS MUST OPPOSE HYSTERIA [ARTICLE]

FARMERS MUST OPPOSE HYSTERIA

SAYS L. H. WRIGHT, PRESIDENT OF THE STATE GRANGE. Nappanee, InA, Jan. 20.—“ The farmer must organize and act; it is a matter of self-preservation, and in acting he may help save the country from industrial demoralization,” said L. H. Wright, of Indianapolis, master of the Indiana State Grange for the last six years, in addressing members of the grange assembled here today in the forty-ninth annual meeting of the organization. He added that the hysteria for higher wages, shorter hours and greater profit to the middle man is costing the farmer untold millions. “We are facing today class domination or, ifyou please, noor Bolshevism, and it must be met and defeated. The importance of our attitude toward the labor program, or class domination, is more readily understood when one realizes that there are more than 7,000,000 farm operators in the United States, 62 per cent of whom own their own farms. There are more farmers who own their own farms than there are members of the American Federation of Labor, yet the A. F. of L. practically dominates and controls our government . Farmer* Ara American*. “More startling is the disproportion in other respects. As to nationality about 90 percent of the farmers are native-born citizens. The aggregate wealth of the farmers is conservatively estimated to exceed $60,000,000,000, or about one-quarter of the entire wealth of the country. On these 7,000,000 farms the country not only depends for its food supply, but also t for a large part of. the basic raw material essential to our manufacturing industries. We are not going on a strike for shorter hours, but we will and do demand consideration in proportion to our numbers and capital invested, also we must obtain for the farmer equal compensation, for the time spent and capital invested with any other industry or occupation. Unless this is done, the people will suffer for lack of sustenance.

“The farmer has been our first line of defense for 160 years. The poet sings of him at Concord’s parting of the ways: ‘By this rude bridge that arched the flood, with flags to April breeze unfurled, here once embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard ’round the world.’ Patrons, the need for levelheaded ,common sense, loyal American citizens is as great today as it was when the minute man fired the first shot of the revolution. “The enemy is in our midst and we are facing a national peril which we should prepare to meet by thoroughly organizing our forces, by selecting leaders who know the need of our people, and who are fearless and courageous in doing the right” . ■ In discussing the tax law passed by the last legislature Mr. Wright said that he is confident that when the mist is cleared away, and the workings of the law understood, the farmers with one accord will declare it to 'be a great improvement over the old law. He said, however, that the law is not perfect and in some instances is yorking a hardship in certain communities. “This imperfection can and will be remedied at the next session of the legislature,” Mr. Wright added. He also discussed the plan of the state highway commission for. the improvement of highways in the state and asked that the grange go on record as favoring a larger appropriation for the work.- ~ Approximately 1,500 persons are in attendance at the sessions, winch will continue over Thursday. Residents of the town, which has a ulation of only about 3,000, have thrown their homes open far the visitors. At the opening today the Rev. D. P. McCoy, of Nappanee, and the response was made by James Dunmire, of Elkhart, formerly a member of the Indiana legislature. Much of the first day was taken up with the hearing of reports. '